You ask, “But this fruit has been safely consumed for centuries, how come it is not generally recognized as safe?” There was a company in the 1970’s that wanted to expand more in the food market, as they had already become successful with helping diabetics. When they introduced their Miracle Fruit popsicle to school children in Boston, things got weird. The two founders were followed and had their offices torn apart and the FDA banned Miraculin after the school children preferred the less sugary popsicle. Coincidence? We will let you come to your own conclusion. The full story is here for you to read.
The Miracle Fruit Berry is not approved for GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) by the Food & Drug Administration(FDA) in the United States due to “insufficient safety data”. Many decades ago, the FDA deemed Miraculin a food additive, therefore not able to be used commercially in other foods as a sweetener.
In June of 2021, the European Food Safety Authority (ESFA) in the European Union(EU) deemed Dried Miracle Berry (DMB®) safe for consumption as a supplement with a maximum intake of 0.7 grams per day for adults. With this, not just everyone is able to sell Miracle Fruit in the EU. The company who had successfully presented the safety information to the ESFA has market exclusivity until 2025 in which their product will be available in pharmacies for purchase.
In countries like Japan, it is deemed safe for consumption and can be sold and produced. In Japan, there is no restriction on the production or selling of this fruit or protein. In 2005, the “Miracle Fruit Café” offered food and desserts paired with miracle fruit as a low calorie swap. The desserts especially would be so sour in taste that you could not consume it without the miracle fruit. This gave people the opportunity to enjoy foods they love but in a healthier way. Some foods offered were curry, parfaits, ice-cream, yogurt, and so much more!
This effect is so desirable that many scientists have tried to replicate the Miraculin protein to grow in other foods such as lettuce. In 2006, Japanese researcher, Kenzo Kurihara, was able to reproduce Miraculin in foods such as lettuce and tomatoes. Two grams of lettuce contained the equivalent to one Miracle Fruit in terms of Miraculin. Other scientists also produced the Miraculin rather than use the natural production found in the miracle berry. Published in 2006, researchers Hyeon-Jin Sun, Min-Long Cui, Biao Ma, and Hiroshi Ezura released their findings of Miraculin production in lettuce as well. After trying out many different hosts, they found lettuce to be the most viable to hold the protein and reproduce it when the plant reproduces. The Japanese beer company Kirin has started to develop a manufactured Monellin to be able to add to food processes as a sugar and sweetener alternative.