GLG files Reb M GRAS notification with FDA

GLG Life Tech Corp. (TSX:GLG), a global leader in the agricultural and commercial development of high-quality natural sweeteners, announces that it has submitted a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notification with the United States Food and Drug Administration for its high-purity rebaudioside M stevia extract product.

This notification represents many months of work to develop the product and all required documentation under the FDA-administered GRAS process to demonstrate that GLG's Reb M extract meets the FDA's criteria for safety. This included in-depth consultation with GRAS Associates LLC, which convened an independent panel of scientists to spearhead this safety assessment.

GLG has now prepared and submitted six GRAS filings related to its stevia extract products—the largest number filed by any company in the world today. GLG has three other GRAS projects underway for additional high purity stevia products and luo han guo products that are expected to be released for review by the FDA in 2014.

GLG has the largest number of stevia products certified under the GRAS process including rebaudioside A products ranging from purities of 50 to 97 percent, high-purity stevioside (STV) and now high-purity rebaudioside M. Additional products currently underway for additional GRAS work include high-purity rebaudioside C and high-purity rebaudioside D. The company is also working on a GRAS application for luo han guo extracts. GLG is committed to ensuring that its ranges of naturally sourced sweetener products are fully documented to comply with the FDA GRAS process.

GLG is also working through its 2014 agriculture development program that is focused on developing new varieties of stevia leaf that will contain higher amounts of the scarcer glycosides such as rebaudioside C, D and M—all through non-GMO breeding. The Company had very encouraging results with 2013's program, and plans to continue to develop some of the more interesting varieties in 2014. For example, in some of the 2013 seedlings, more than double the average of rebaudioside C and rebaudioside D was achieved while still having high glycoside weight in the leaf and high rebaudioside A content. Our products will always be naturally sourced from the stevia leaf.