Stevia was banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1991 due to early studies that suggested it might cause cancer, based on experiments with high doses of stevia extracts in rats that showed DNA mutations. This led the FDA to classify stevia as an "unsafe food additive" and prohibit its use as a sweetener. However, these initial studies were later debunked, and more recent research found the sweetening compounds in stevia, specifically steviol glycosides, to be safe for consumption. The FDA revised its stance in 2008, granting stevia extracts "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) status, allowing stevia to be used as a sweetener in foods and beverages again. The ban was influenced not only by early safety concerns but also reportedly by industry lobbying to protect artificial sweetener markets. Today, only highly purified stevia extracts are allowed for use as sweeteners, while crude stevia remains restricted.