For the tranquility of the users of Stevia, no study could commit mutagenic or carcinogenic effect in normal concentrations of application as a sweetener. While adverse effects of Stevia were never really tested in humans, both the authorities in the United States, Canada and the European Union considered that Stevia extracts are not safe in the application as a tabletop sweetener, with the argument of the lack of long-term toxicological studies. The authorities in other countries such as Japan, China and various countries in Latin America have another opinion and accepted the use of extracts of Stevia as a natural sweetener. In Japan, Stevia sweeteners are already commercially available since 1971 and no reported health problems associated with this sweetener. In the United States.UU, the (FDA) food and Drug Administration approved the use of extracts of Stevia only as an ingredient in a nutritional supplement but not as a tabletop sweetener. Only the Rebaudiosida A Glycoside in its pure form is regarded as substance is generally recognized as safe (GRAS by its acronym in English) since December of 2008.

On the contrary, the steviosida, the other main compound of Stevia extract, was not recognised as GRAS by the FDA. Both in Canada and in the European Union (EU), the use of Stevia as a tabletop sweetener was rejected on the grounds that there was no sufficient evidence which demonstrated its safety. But now there is light at the end of tunnel. There is a new view of authority European security of food (EFSA) which monitors the sweeteners and their use, to remove trade products deemed hazardous to health. This institution published a document with an evaluation of the toxicological information available in April this year to date. The result is that Stevia and Stevia extracts are considered harmless in its use as a sweetener of table at least under certain conditions. EFSA recommends a maximum daily dose of 4 mg per kilogram body weight, to be sure, the same maximum dose is recommended by the World Health Organization, according to a document published in the year 2008.

In common words, an adult person with a weight of 70 kg can consume 280 mg of an extract of Stevia without any risk to their health. Whereas Stevia extract is about 250 times sweeter than common sugar, an adult can replace about 70 grams of sugar by Stevia, equivalent to some 4 to 5 tablespoons or approximately 20 teaspoons of sugar every day. Since children have one lower body weight, the dose must be reduced proportionately to its weight. After EFSA decision, what is missing to the success of Stevia in the European market is only the final decision of the European Commission. For fans of the Stevia is the certainty that being critical never is unjustified, since natural does not always mean risk-free. A good example is cocaine, extracted from the coca leaf. This well-known drug is a 100% natural product but with serious consequences in the event of a non-controlled consumption.