Stevia in the Food Industry

What is Stevia?
Product Examples
Properties of Stevia
Typical Formulations
Stevia Formulation Considerations
Safety & Regulatory Considerations
Fun Facts About Stevia

Stevia is a plant extract commonly used as an alternative sweetener for people who want to reduce their sugar intake or manage diabetes. It is significantly sweeter than sugar but contains zero calories and has a negligible effect on blood sugar levels.

What is Stevia?

Stevia is derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant, native to South America. Stevia is available in various forms, including liquid extracts, powdered extracts, and granulated blends, and is used to sweeten a wide range of foods and beverages.

Source: NCBI

How is Stevia Produced?

Stevia is produced by extracting sweet compounds from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant. The leaves are harvested, dried, and steeped in water. This water extract is then filtered to remove impurities and other plant components. The resulting liquid extract is then further processed to isolate sweet compounds known as steviol glycosides. These steviol glycosides are then dried and powdered to create the final stevia product. Some stevia products may undergo additional refining processes to remove residual flavors or aftertaste.

Product Examples

Type	Examples
Bakery	Cake, Cookies, Pastries, Bread
Confectionery	Candies, Gums, Soft Chews
Chocolate	Chocolate, Compounds
Dairy & Dairy Alternates	Ice Cream, Frozen Dessert, Yogurt, Milk-Based Sweets
Beverages	Soft Drinks, Milk-Based Drinks, Carbonated Drinks
Savory & Culinary	Sauces, Condiments, Curries
Convenience	Jams, Jellies, Breakfast Foods

Special Dietary Usage

Type	Description
Low-Calorie Ciet	Stevia is a non-nutritive sweetener, providing sweetness without adding calories. This makes it an excellent option for individuals looking to reduce calorie consumption and maintain a healthy weight.
Diabetic Diet	As a zero calorie sweetener Stevia does not affect blood sugar levels.
Keto	Stevia does not contain any carbohydrates, making it a suitable choice for those following a low-carb or keto diet. It does not raise blood sugar levels, so it is safe for individuals with diabetes or those looking to control their blood glucose levels.

Properties of Stevia

Physical Form	Powder
Color	White
Odor	Licorice aroma
Shelf Life	2-3 years
Storage Temperature & Conditions	Room temperature
Claims (*Product Specific)	Natural, Halal, Kosher, Non-GMO, Organic

Typical Formulations

Stevia Sweetener

Here is an example formulation table for stevia sweetener with the composition of ingredients:

Ingredient	Composition (Parts by Weight)
Rebaudioside A (Rebaudioside A: ≧95%)	100
Sugarcane extract (a)	1.44
Sugarcane extract (b)	0.75
γ-aminobutyric acid	0.25

Rebaudioside A is the sweetest and most stable steviol glycoside. The sweetener can be improved further by adding sugarcane-derived extracts and specific auxiliary additives to transglucosylated stevia sweeteners.

Source: Google Patents

High-Fiber Cookies

Here is an example formulation table for high-fiber cookies with the composition of ingredients:

Ingredient	Composition (Weight)
Flour	500 g
Vegetable oil	60 g
Milk	25 g
Egg	15 g
Aerating agent	5 g
Salt	4 g
Soybean fiber	20 g
Steviol glycoside / Rebaudioside A	0.15 g

The heat endurance of stevioside and its compatibility with other ingredients makes it suitable to use under various operating conditions, including high-temperature processing. In this formulation, stevioside also reduces soybean dietary fiber’s off-putting smell.

Source: Google Patents

Low-Calorie Carbonated Drink

Here is an example formulation table for a carbonated drink with the composition of ingredients:

Ingredient	Composition (% Weight)
Cola flavor	0.340
Phosphoric acid	0.100
Sodium citrate	0.310
Sodium benzoate	0.018
Citric acid	0.018
Stevioside / Rebaudioside A	0.030
Carbonated water	Make up to 100

Source: Google Patents

Sugar-Free Chocolate

Here is an example formulation table for sugar-free chocolate with the composition of ingredients:

Ingredient	Composition (% Weight)
Cocoa liquor	19
Natural cocoa butter	32
Rebaudioside D	0.1
Rebaudioside A	0.025
Egg albumen powder	9
Maltodextrin	10
Soybean phospholipid	0.6
Vanillin	0.06
Flavanol	1
Dietary fiber	2
Chrysanthemum powder	10

Source: Google Patents

Stevia Formulation Considerations

Sweetness Principles

The leaves of stevia are about 30 times sweeter than sucrose, whereas the compounds called steviol glycosides isolated from the leaves of stevia are 200–300 times sweeter. There are 11 major steviol glycosides, as shown in the table below, of which rebaudioside A and stevioside are the most abundant.

Sweetener	R1	R2	Molecular Formula	Molecular Weight	Sweetness Potency
Rebaudioside A	Glcßl-	Glcß(l -2)[G1cß(1-3)]G1cß1-	C₄₄H₇₀O₂₃	967.01	200
Rebaudioside B	H	Glcß(1-2)[G1cß(1-3)]G1cß1-	C₃₈H₆₀O₁₈	804.88	150
Rebaudioside C	Glcßl-	Rhaa(1-2)[G1cß(1-3)]G1cß1-	C₄₄H₇₀O₂₂	951.01	30
Rebaudioside D	Glcß(l -2)G1cß1-	Glcß(1-2)[G1cß(1-3)]G1cß1-	C₅₀H₈₀O₂₈	1129.15	221
Rebaudioside E	Glcß(l-2)G1cß1-	Glcß(1-2)G1cß1-	C₄₄H₇₀O₂₃	967.01	174
Rebaudioside F	Glcßl-	Xylß(1-2)[G1cß(1-3)]G1cß1-	C₄₃H₆₈O₂₂	936.99	200
Stevioside	Glcßl-	Glcß(1-2)G1cß1-	C₃₈H₆₀O₁₈	804.88	210
Steviolbioside	H	Glcß(1-2)G1cß1-	C₃₂H₅₀O₁₃	642.73	90
Rubusoside	Glcßl-	Glcßl-	C₃₂H₅₀O₁₃	642.73	114
Dulcoside A	Glcßl-	Rhao(1-2)G1cß1-	C₃₈H6₀O₁₇	788.87	30

Glycosylated Steviol Glycosides

Glucosylated steviol glycosides (GSG) are a mixture of larger glycosides of steviol derived by glucosylation of steviol glycosides extracted from leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant.

Steviol glycosides have carbohydrate molecules attached to a central steviol (terpenoid) moiety. Naturally occurring steviol glycosides such as stevioside and rebaudioside A can be modified by allowing an alpha-glucosyltransferase to react on an aqueous solution containing one or more steviol glycosides and a glucose donor such as starch or cyclodextrin whereby one or more glucose units are transferred from the glucose donor to the steviol glycoside.

Modified stevoil products can provide an improved sensory experience. For example, in the case of rebaudioside A, the bitterness, aftertaste, and astringency can be decreased.

Sensory Characteristics

Steviol glycosides generally have a slower onset and longer sweetness duration than sugar. Each steviol glycoside has a slightly different flavor. For example, stevioside has a slight herbal taste, rebaudioside-A has a clean taste, and other minor steviol glycosides have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste. Some people find the lingering sweetness and bitter taste to be less desirable. The composition of the steviol glycoside mixtures may differ according to the cultivar from which the steviol glycosides are extracted and the manufacturing process. The following table provides in-depth information about the sensory properties of stevia.

Potency	The sweetness potency of rebaudioside A is 200 times that of sucrose at 6% equivalence, whereas rebaudioside M is 310 times that of sucrose. This is similar to the sweetness potency of aspartame.
Taste Profile	Stevioside, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside D, and rebaudioside M exhibit clean sweetness at low sucrose equivalence levels. However, they can have negative taste attributes (bitterness, licorice-like taste) at higher sucrose equivalence levels. Stevioside exhibits much more bitterness than rebaudioside A, rebaudioside D, and rebaudioside M. Rebaudioside M also exhibits a sweet, clean taste without any bitter or licorice aftertaste but is present at relatively low levels in currently available stevia plants.
Temporal Profile	Among all the steviol glycosides known today, rebaudioside M exhibits the fastest taste onset.

Source: Springer

Sole Use as a Sweetener

Stevia provides 200-350 times the sweetness level of sugar.
Stevia is a zero-calorie sweetener. Totally replacing sucrose or other nutritive sweeteners, such as HFCS, with stevia brings down the calories from added sugar to zero. This significantly reduces total caloric output and helps design equivalently sweet, sugar-free products.
Stevia weighs significantly less than sucrose, resulting in the loss of bulk, which otherwise would have been provided by sucrose when stevia is used as a replacement. Food products substituting stevia for sugar need other additives to make up the bulk lost.
At higher concentrations, steviol glycoside-rebaudioside A and stevioside exhibit an off-taste. Major steviol glycosides have been found to provide a significant bitter aftertaste. This is a major downside of using stevia as a sole sweetener in food formulations.
Stevia does not undergo enzymatic or non-enzymatic browning. It does not caramelize. For this reason, the desired color may not be achieved. On the contrary, stevia exerts antioxidant effects by inhibiting peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase from orange, mango, and papaya to prevent browning.
Stevia is heat stable (up to 200°C), which means it can be used in cooking and baking without losing its sweetness.

Synergistic Use as a Sweetener

Off-taste can be addressed by blending steviosides with other nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners. Synergistic use can also improve functional, processing, cost, and stability-related factors.

Combined with Sugar Alcohols	Stevia can work well synergistically with sugar alcohols, including erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol, and maltitol. Depending on the ratio, these blends may be 2-5x sweeter than table sugar. Sensory properties can also be improved when combining stevia with sugar alcohols, including reducing bitter aftertaste. Sugar alcohols also add some bulk to a formulation. An erythritol/stevia combination is a widely used sweetener blend.
Conventional Nutritive Sweeteners	Stevia can partially substitute glucose, fructose, HFCS, inverted sugar, and other conventional nutritive sweeteners in food formulations. Partial substitution allows a partial reduction of the caloric output of food and overcomes the bitter aftertaste from stevia.
Combined with High-Potency Sweeteners	The lingering sweetness of steviol glycosides can be masked by adding certain substances with floral and sweet notes. Flavors of coffee, chocolate, spicy sauces, and tea can complement the bitter aftertaste and lingering properties of steviol glycosides.
Sensory Combinations	The lingering sweetness of steviol glycosides can be masked by adding certain substances with floral and sweet notes. The bitter aftertaste and lingering properties of steviol glycosides can be complemented by flavors of coffee, chocolate, spicy sauces, and tea.

Pharmacokinetics

Absorption	Most of the stevioside consumed is absorbed in the intestine and transported to the liver.
Metabolism	The conversion of stevioside and rebaudioside A into steviol occurs in the liver (phase I metabolism). Steviol undergoes enterohepatic reabsorption and is conjugated into steviol glucuronide (phase II metabolism).
Excretion	In a study, steviol glucuronide was excreted primarily in the urine during a 72-hour collection period, accounting for 59% and 62% of the rebaudioside A and stevioside doses, respectively. A study of human volunteers showed no detectable amount of stevioside, free steviol, or any other steviol metabolite in the blood after stevioside consumption (750 mg/day); steviol was present in the feces.

Safety & Regulatory Considerations

FDA Information

The FDA has evaluated many GRAS notices for the use of high purity (95% minimum purity) steviol glycosides, including Rebaudioside A (also known as Reb A), Stevioside, Rebaudioside D, or steviol glycoside mixture preparations with Rebaudioside A and/or Stevioside as predominant components. However, using stevia leaf and crude stevia extracts is not considered GRAS, and their import into the U.S. is not permitted for use as sweeteners.

EU Information

Health Effects of Stevia

Diabetes — Stevia can be an alternative sweetener for diabetic patients without affecting blood glucose, HbA1C, insulin, or lipid levels.
Weight Control — Stevia does not cause weight loss. However, its use as a sweetener in food products reduces the overall caloric value, helping to reduce caloric intake for people trying to lose weight.
Antioxidant Activity — The antioxidant effect of stevia leaf extract has been ascribed to its radical-scavenging ability, especially its action against superoxide and free radical (unpaired) electrons.
Anti-Cancer Activity — Besides the cytotoxic effect of purified glycosides, it has been reported that stevia leaf extracts exhibit similar but less potent anti-cancer activity.
Blood Pressure Regulation — Stevioside may reduce blood pressure and fasting blood glucose. In a study, significant reductions in diastolic blood pressure and fasting blood glucose were observed.

Safety & Toxicity of Stevia

Toxicity — Stevia glucosides are “generally recognized as safe” by the FDA. However, due to a lack of safety information, whole-leaf stevia and crude stevia extract are not approved for use in processed foods and beverages. Studies have shown that steviol glycosides in stevia are not teratogenic, mutagenic, or carcinogenic and cause no acute and subacute toxicity.
Allergies — Steviol glycosides are not reactive or metabolized to reactive compounds. For this reason, it is unlikely that steviol glycosides should cause allergic reactions when consumed in foods.

Identification Numbers

Name	Stevioside
CAS Number	57817-89-7
EC Number	260-975-5
E Number (Food Additive)	E 960

Acceptable Limits or Maximum Usage

The maximum usage level of steviol glycosides in food products per the Codex Alimentarius is as provided here.

The table below lists various stevia ingredients, along with their corresponding FEMA numbers and examples of usage level in common applications:

Stevia Ingredient	FEMA Number	Usage Level
Reb A 60	4771	Most applications < 30ppm, Gum < 200ppm
Reb A 80	4772	Most applications < 35ppm, Gum < 234ppm
Reb A	4601	Most applications < 30ppm, Milk < 45ppm, Cereal < 50ppm, Gum <200ppm, Meat < 75 ppm
Reb C	4720	Non-alcoholic beverages < 250ppm, Cereal < 400ppm, Gum < 0.1%, Jam < 300ppm
Reb D 95	4921	Most applications < 32.5ppm, Gum < 325ppm
Reb E 85	4936	Most applications < 45ppm
Reb M 80/85	4895/4957	Several applications < 20ppm
Reb M 90	4968	Most applications < 35ppm, Baked < 70ppm, Cereal < 100ppm, Milk products < 45ppm
Reb M 95	4992	Most applications < 24ppm, Gum < 240ppm
Stevioside	4763	Beverages < 35ppm, Baked and Candy < 65ppm, Sauces and snacks < 30ppm, Milk products < 55ppm, Gelatins and Puddings < 65ppm
Stevioside 70	4911	Most applications < 50ppm, Baked < 200ppm, Cereal < 250ppm
Reb B 95	4978	Most applications < 30ppm

Source: FEMA

Fun Facts About Stevia

Stevia has been used for centuries by indigenous peoples in South America, particularly in Paraguay and Brazil, as a sweetening agent for their beverages and foods.
Stevia has been found to have insect-repellent properties. It can deter certain pests, which makes it a potential candidate for natural insect-repellent products.