Researchers have found that an ingredient in the sugar substitute Truvia acts as an insecticide that is safe for humans.
Discovery News reports that erythritol, a naturally occurring sugar alcohol found in many fruits, is toxic to flies. Erythritol is the primary component of Truvia. It has been tested in high doses on humans and deemed safe and has been designated by the Food and Drug Administration as a generally recognized safe food additive.
The researchers’ results, published in the latest issue of PLoS ONE, are considered significant because scientists are always searching for an effective insect killer that is safe for humans.
"I feel like this is the simplest, most straightforward work I've ever done, but it's potentially the most important thing I've ever worked on," senior author Sean O'Donnell, a Drexel University professor of biology and biodiversity, said in a press release.
To read the complete Discovery News story, go here.
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