Sweetness in the news: Stevia allowed by FDA, new tax considered in NY

How appropriate given the season, where lots of sweet things are being consumed, that we have two major bits of news on the sweetness front.

-- New York State is proposing an 18% tax on sugary soft drinks and other sugary beverages. Governor David Paterson is considering such a move to shore up budget deficits.

So if this tax comes to pass, regular soft drinks would have the tax and diet drinks would be exempt. I would love to call this the high-fructose corn syrup tax, but unfortunately, this would also apply to cane sugar drinks, too.

As difficult as it would be to pass this tax, it would be even more difficult to pass one only for HFCS drinks. But it would do two different things: it would force companies to stop playing the "HFCS and/or sugar" labeling game and it would help even the already uneven field for high-fructose corn syrup (regular readers know of the subsidies for corn products and the artificially high sugar prices in the U.S.).

Even if it does apply to cane sugar, the tax would send a message of the impact of sugary drinks in the American diet.

-- The bigger news is that the FDA is allowing stevia-based sweeteners onto the market. Stevia has existed in its natural form, but the FDA wouldn't approve it as a sweetener, allowing it to be bought as a dietary supplement.

Cynics have charged that the FDA wouldn't make a move because you can't get a patent from something nature makes. But there are companies making stevia-based sweeteners that have received a letter of "no objection" from the FDA.

For those who haven't tried stevia, it does have a strong licorice taste. The nice thing about stevia is that it is natural, a concern for those who have had problems with artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame.

The major questions are whether "stevia-based" is completely natural and whether the sharp licorice taste will be muted. Those searching for a natural sweetened drink with few calories may not want to see Ace-K or some equivalent. And unless you like licorice, the strong taste can turn off sensitive American tastes.