What is it?
An extract of stevia, Stevia rebaudiana, a plant native to parts of South America. Its leaves contain steviol glycosides, sweet compounds that the FDA says are 200 to 400 times sweeter than table sugar. Purified stevia extracts are used as sugar-free sweeteners in foods and drinks. In cosmetics, the EU ingredient database lists stevia extract as a flavoring, and it is used to sweeten oral-care products such as tooth polishes.
Key information
- The FDA has not questioned GRAS conclusions for high-purity steviol glycosides (at least 95 percent pure), but stevia leaf and crude extracts are not considered GRAS for use in conventional foods.
- The acceptable daily intake for steviol glycosides is 4 mg per kilogram of body weight, expressed as steviol; EFSA declined to raise it in 2024.
- In the EU, steviol glycosides are approved food additives (E 960a to E 960d) in 32 food categories.
- The label name Stevia Rebaudiana Extract does not say how purified the extract is.
More information
Stevia’s sweetness comes from steviol glycosides such as stevioside and rebaudioside A. U.S. rules draw a sharp line between forms. The FDA has evaluated many GRAS notices for high-purity steviol glycosides (at least 95 percent pure) and has not questioned the GRAS conclusions in those notices for the intended uses; it notes that their safety has been extensively studied. Stevia leaf and crude stevia extracts, by contrast, are not considered GRAS for conventional foods, which FDA Import Alert 45-06 attributes to “inadequate toxicological information.” The same alert notes that stevia sold as a dietary supplement is not subject to the food additive rules.
In Europe, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) evaluated steviol glycosides in 2010 and set an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 4 mg per kilogram of body weight a day, expressed as steviol. They are approved as food additives E 960a to E 960d in 32 food categories. In 2024 EFSA considered a request to raise the ADI to 6 or 16 mg/kg and found insufficient justification to change it. The FDA cites the same ADI, set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives.
In oral-care products only small amounts are swallowed. The INCI name Stevia Rebaudiana Extract covers extracts of the whole plant and does not reveal how refined the extract is, and we found no safety review of it as a cosmetic ingredient by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review or the EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety. Reality check: the mixed messages about stevia mostly reflect the regulatory difference between crude leaf products, which lack safety data, and purified steviol glycosides, which have been extensively studied.
Sources: FDA: Aspartame and other sweeteners in food; FDA: Import Alert 45-06, Stevia leaves and stevia leaf-derived products; EFSA Journal (2024): Steviol glycosides (E 960a-d), extension of use and the acceptable daily intake; European Commission CosIng: Stevia Rebaudiana Extract