Wisdom Affirms SweetLeaf as GRAS

GILBERT, Ariz.—Wisdom Natural Brands' stevia product, SweetLeaf®, was affirmed GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by two groups of independent scientists. FDA only requires one independent GRAS affirmation, which Wisdom initially received from GRAS Associates, a leading consulting firm for the food industry headed by two former senior scientists at FDA's GRAS review branch. The process involved an extensive review of published research and toxicology studies as well as international standards for the safe use of stevia in food. However, in confirming safety for GRAS purposes also through the Life Science Research Office (LSRO), which also performs FDA contract work, Wisdom stated it went to the next level of self-GRAS status.

"Such a 'self-GRAS plus' process differentiates Wisdom from other companies seeking to market natural sweeteners for food use, and should provide its customers with a level of confidence not found elsewhere in the industry," said the company, in a statement.

According to the company, by gaining two independent GRAS confirmations, it has beat bigger competitors to the market for stevia with this level of safety for food use. "I feel like the David that beat Goliath,” said Jim May, founder and CEO of Wisdom. "We have been working behind the scenes for months to get SweetLeaf Sweetener™ to market before any of our competitors, and now that we see they won’t have product available until much later, we definitely have a competitive advantage."