USA culture
media | 09.12.2003 23:04 | Health
Hong Kong government asks McDonalds to withdraw its Honey BBQ sauce as it contains the sweetener stevioside which is banned in Hong Kong
McDonalds in Trouble
Non Compos Mentis 2003, 08.12.2003 21:27
Hong Kong government asks McDonalds to withdraw its Honey BBQ sauce as it contains the sweetener stevioside which is banned in Hong Kong. The main chemical in stevioside can be converted in a laboratory into a substance that alters genes and might be therefore linked to cancer and / or sterility. (Hong Kong has already banned the use of stevioside)
McDonalds hasn't commented on this.
Reminder:
In 2001 McDonalds used beef extract in its fries. Legal action and protests from vegetarians followed resulting in an apology from McDonald
_______________________
No medical evidence....
09.12.2003 16:43
While I applaud anything that draws the death of the McDonalds Corporation nearer, there are other facts that should be taken into account here.
Stevioside - an extract of Stevia, also known as Steviosol - is not banned for any real reasons. There are no medical studies that show any side effects of it.
It is a sweetener which is fat free and carbohydrate free. It has been widely used in the world for many centuries. Most notably in Japan - a country whose food and drug laws are as stringent as in the US. It is thought to be A LOT safer than sugar (which is a known carcinogen).
Stevia was regarded by the FDA as a harmless herbal extract and dietary supplement. In the FDA's own parlance it was, "Generally recognized as safe". That is until Aspartame was invented. A trade complaint from the manufacturers of Aspartame (aka NutraSweet) led to the FDA banning the use of Stevia on the rather spurious logic that it was possible to react it in a laboratory and make a chemical that is likely to be carcinogenic. There was no evidence to suggest that particular reaction would or even could take place in the human body and the FDA refused and still refuse to release the results of the studies they are claiming to be basing their decision on. In fact, there have been many trials and studies which show that Stevia and it's extracts are unlikely to be at all harmful and may even be beneficial in diabetes as it is a sweetener which does not cause problems for diabetics and there is some evidence that it may even stimulate insulin production.
Aspartame on the other hand is a proven carcinogen, has recently been strongly linked with brain tumours, is known to convert partially to formaldehyde upon heating and damages the central nervous and immune systems. There are plenty of doctors who are starting to think that plenty of people thought to have MS may have been misdiagnosed and that they may actually have been damaged by apsartame poisoning.
Apparently it doesn't even taste as nice as Stevia.
Stevia appears to be a perfectly safe, natural sweetener which has been banned in the interests of Corporate American profits (so what else is new?) and where the FDA go, other countries follow. Interestingly, a major player in the company that developed Aspartame and bullied it onto the market is one Donald Rumsfeld. Now there's an unknown unknown for you!
I'm not going to post a load of links. Just type 'aspartame' or 'Stevioside' into Google and you'll see what I mean.
Having said all that though, McDonalds were still clearly in the wrong for using a banned substance in their foods in that country and anything which damages that particular company can only be a good thing. But I wouldn't be surprised if they replace the stevioside with aspartame and their food suddenly become even more harmful for the Hong Kong population.
Afinkawan
_________________
DEAR AFINKAWAN
the point is that McDonalds has shown audacity by using a banned product in a particular place! Yes it is not an artificial substance but the FACT is that Hong Kong has banned it and McDonalds showed no respect! It might NOT be banned here or in the USA but the world is not just England or the USA! Please stop being so egocentric!
Yes, more research is needed and people are carrying that research out and there are some alarming bells. The initial article was put together after receiving information from people in Hong Kong and double checking it with Hong Kong Newspapers. Search under "stevioside Hong Kong".
Also, stevia is not the same as stevioside.Stevioside derives from stevia but it is not the same!
(see beyond the USA....)
Regards
Non Compos Mentis respecting different cultures
Non Compos Mentis 2003, 08.12.2003 21:27
Hong Kong government asks McDonalds to withdraw its Honey BBQ sauce as it contains the sweetener stevioside which is banned in Hong Kong. The main chemical in stevioside can be converted in a laboratory into a substance that alters genes and might be therefore linked to cancer and / or sterility. (Hong Kong has already banned the use of stevioside)
McDonalds hasn't commented on this.
Reminder:
In 2001 McDonalds used beef extract in its fries. Legal action and protests from vegetarians followed resulting in an apology from McDonald
_______________________
No medical evidence....
09.12.2003 16:43
While I applaud anything that draws the death of the McDonalds Corporation nearer, there are other facts that should be taken into account here.
Stevioside - an extract of Stevia, also known as Steviosol - is not banned for any real reasons. There are no medical studies that show any side effects of it.
It is a sweetener which is fat free and carbohydrate free. It has been widely used in the world for many centuries. Most notably in Japan - a country whose food and drug laws are as stringent as in the US. It is thought to be A LOT safer than sugar (which is a known carcinogen).
Stevia was regarded by the FDA as a harmless herbal extract and dietary supplement. In the FDA's own parlance it was, "Generally recognized as safe". That is until Aspartame was invented. A trade complaint from the manufacturers of Aspartame (aka NutraSweet) led to the FDA banning the use of Stevia on the rather spurious logic that it was possible to react it in a laboratory and make a chemical that is likely to be carcinogenic. There was no evidence to suggest that particular reaction would or even could take place in the human body and the FDA refused and still refuse to release the results of the studies they are claiming to be basing their decision on. In fact, there have been many trials and studies which show that Stevia and it's extracts are unlikely to be at all harmful and may even be beneficial in diabetes as it is a sweetener which does not cause problems for diabetics and there is some evidence that it may even stimulate insulin production.
Aspartame on the other hand is a proven carcinogen, has recently been strongly linked with brain tumours, is known to convert partially to formaldehyde upon heating and damages the central nervous and immune systems. There are plenty of doctors who are starting to think that plenty of people thought to have MS may have been misdiagnosed and that they may actually have been damaged by apsartame poisoning.
Apparently it doesn't even taste as nice as Stevia.
Stevia appears to be a perfectly safe, natural sweetener which has been banned in the interests of Corporate American profits (so what else is new?) and where the FDA go, other countries follow. Interestingly, a major player in the company that developed Aspartame and bullied it onto the market is one Donald Rumsfeld. Now there's an unknown unknown for you!
I'm not going to post a load of links. Just type 'aspartame' or 'Stevioside' into Google and you'll see what I mean.
Having said all that though, McDonalds were still clearly in the wrong for using a banned substance in their foods in that country and anything which damages that particular company can only be a good thing. But I wouldn't be surprised if they replace the stevioside with aspartame and their food suddenly become even more harmful for the Hong Kong population.
Afinkawan
_________________
DEAR AFINKAWAN
the point is that McDonalds has shown audacity by using a banned product in a particular place! Yes it is not an artificial substance but the FACT is that Hong Kong has banned it and McDonalds showed no respect! It might NOT be banned here or in the USA but the world is not just England or the USA! Please stop being so egocentric!
Yes, more research is needed and people are carrying that research out and there are some alarming bells. The initial article was put together after receiving information from people in Hong Kong and double checking it with Hong Kong Newspapers. Search under "stevioside Hong Kong".
Also, stevia is not the same as stevioside.Stevioside derives from stevia but it is not the same!
(see beyond the USA....)
Regards
Non Compos Mentis respecting different cultures
media