In the interests of spurring sector innovation, EU biscuit, chocolate and cake manufacturer representative body Caobisco said it is aiming to get authorisations ‘in the future' for the use of natural sweetener stevia in 'fine bakery' products, but has yet to make an application in that regard.

Pénélope Alexandre, regulatory and scientific affairs director at the association of the chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industries of Europe (Caobisco) said that the body is aiming to have approval in the long term for stevia usage in all product categories under its remit "since we are supporting innovation."

However, she stressed the Caobisco respects the opinions and rigours of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) approvals process and added that in terms of stevia applications in different food categories, "it will be the Commission's task to manage the risk, [concurrently] taking into account the technological needs for product innovation."

European stevia is currently an industry-in-waiting, as the European Commission has yet to grant its approval of stevia sweeteners.