'Though the stevia industry promotes it as the only natural, no-calorie way to sweeten foods and drinks and denies any health risks, citing the heavy use of the substance in Japan since the 1970s without any major reported safety concerns, the FDA isn't convinced. Since 1995, the FDA has banned the use of stevia as a sweetener, approving it only for use as a dietary supplement because "available toxicological information on stevia is inadequate to demonstrate its safety as a food additive or to affirm its status as GRAS [generally recognized as safe]."'
(This is the same corporation-controlled FDA that approved Aspartame)
