The published report had many shortcomings, including lack of information about the preparation of the stevia infusions and the quantities used. Many believe it is, and G.D. Searle, the makers of NutraSweet, is a prime suspect, according to the article. According to the article, Jim May, who owns an herbal products firm in Arizona called Wisdom of the Ancients, claims that an FDA representative told him pointblank that NutraSweet was the only company lodging a complaint against stevia. Where the safety of approved sweeteners is concerned, the FDA continues to play by a double standard. NutraSweet itself is by no means free of adverse side effects.
Sweetness is big money.
The FDA took action against stevia not based on any proclamation by FDA toxicologists or consumer complaints, or any factor other than a trade complaint-that is, a complaint from a company that did not want stevia on the market and told the FDA to get it off the market. Currently, though stevia is being packaged and marketed as a dietary supplement, word is out underground about its use as a sweetener.