The naturally derived sweetener Stevia Is starring in a new bin. A cheat, a Kasten, to put it in the language of Bolzano/Bozen where the
Unterhofer & Partner
, the manufacturer of the sweetener under review.
Stevia of my cravings
The great success of stevia
comes from its valuable characteristics
. Steviol glycosides are obtained from a plant (
Stevia rebaudiana
, precisely), which has also been cultivated in Italy for a few years.
. Their sweetening power is estimated to be about 300 times that of sugar, yet they do not provide calories or have cariogenic effects.
Stevia stands out above all, compared to synthetic sweeteners (1)-which also boast high sweetening power, without providing calories or attacking the teeth-because of the absence of health risks associated with its consumption.
The growing success of stevia in the market, however, has led some operators to boast its use in products in incorrect ways, sometimes even outlawed altogether. As in the case of the label under consideration, images of which are provided below.
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The occult QUID
According to the Quantity of Ingredients Declaration (QUID ) rule , ‘theindication of the quantity of an ingredient or category of ingredients used in the manufacture or preparation of a food is required when that ingredient or category of ingredients:
(a) appears in the name of the food or is generally associated with that name by the consumer;
(b) is highlighted in the labeling by words, pictures or a graphic representation; or
(c) is essential to characterize a food and distinguish it from products with which it might be confused because of its name or appearance‘. (2)
The front of Unterhofer & Partner’s label shows the words ‘Stevia 1:1′ in large letters. However, without revealing the amount of the valuable extract of the said plant that is present in the product. The ingredient list shows only that the first component is another sweetener of far less value, erythritol.
A black-palm omission that debases consumer rights and pollutes the competition of honest operators. Instead, which, in compliance with European rules, offer exact news about the quantity of the valuable ingredient.
More misleading news
Unterhofer’s label redolent with ‘free from’ statements to boast what the product does not contain. And it is misleading, in the writer’s opinion, in several respects:
– gluten-free. The ‘
gluten-free
‘, though all the rage
, may come to refer only to those foods that belong to categories where gluten might be present. (3) Certainly not to a product whose first ingredient (erythritol) is derived from corn and the second from a herbaceous plant, (4)
– lactose-free. This indication, as recently pointed out, is reserved for milk and dairy products. And it is certainly illicit on a product that does not even contain a trace of the mentioned ingredients,
– vegan. And we’ll be damned! Is there perhaps any plant ingredient with animal ingredients? Different would be the case with a gummy candy, where the claim ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ may be valid to distinguish the product that contains no hidden ingredients Of animal origin (e.g., gelatin, cochineal dye). (5) But here, this is not really the case.
Transparency, in the label under review, is not quite at home. It is questionable whether erythritol and steviol glycosides can be designated as ‘
natural ingredients
‘
, taking into account their respective processes. And perplexing are apodictic statements such as ”
sophisticated workmanship
‘ o ‘
plants whose cultivation is controlled
‘.
How much, what, how? And most importantly, who checks?
Dario Dongo and Marta Strinati
Notes
(1) For the definition of synthetic sweeteners, and their distinction from bulk sweeteners, see previous articles
https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/dolcificare/dolcificanti-un-mondo-di-additivi
e
https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/dolcificare/dolcificanti-intensivi
(2) V. reg. EU 1169/11, Article 22. Other glaring examples, to this day unpunished, of violation of this rule include Kellogg’s ‘Special K’ bars (https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/etichette/kellogg-s-special-bidone-k) and from various sliced processed cheeses (https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/etichette/cheese-scam-la-frode-a-fettine, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/etichette/cheese-scam-la-frode-prosegue). Always waiting for the
ICQRF
strike a blow
(3) See reg. EU 1169/11, Article 7.1.c
(4) Another colossal deception, which is worth recalling pending due sanctions, is that of gluten-free tea (
https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/etichette/tè-senza-glutine
)
(5) About the proposed definitions of vegetarian and vegan foods, see
https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/etichette/vegetariano-e-vegano
,
https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/consum-attori/vegetariano-e-vegano-identità-e-garanzie-una-proposta
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
