Certified Diabetes Educator Practice Exam

The statement regarding stevia not being one of the five non-nutritive sweeteners approved by the FDA is misleading. In fact, stevia, particularly in its purified form known as rebaudioside A, is recognized by the FDA as a safe food additive and is classified as a Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) substance. It has gained widespread acceptance as a non-nutritive sweetener and is commonly used in many food and beverage products.

The five non-nutritive sweeteners that the FDA has explicitly approved include acesulfame potassium, sucralose, saccharin, aspartame, and steviol glycosides (the compounds derived from the stevia plant). The confusion may arise from the general misunderstanding about the specific forms of sweeteners that are regarded as non-nutritive. While it's true that the term "stevia" can refer to the whole leaf or unrefined forms, which do not have FDA approval, the refined extract does.

Therefore, stevia does indeed belong to the category of approved non-nutritive sweeteners, making the assertion that it is not approved incorrect. Acesulfame potassium, sucralose, and saccharin