Americas: IFST updates information on stevia
The Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST) has revises its Statistics Statement on Stevia, which covers EU regulatory changes to mid-2018.
It also comprises data on newer, minor glycosides such as red A, reb D and reb M, and additional creation methods including fermentation and biotransformation. Leaves of the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) are the source of steviol glycosides, a group of high-potency, zero-calorie sweeteners.
Permitted as sweeteners in the EU since December 2011, steviol glycosides offer an opportunity to minimise the added sugar in a range of foods and beverages without loss of sweetness or reliance on synthetic sweeteners.
Although steviol glycosides may not be called “natural” in the EU, food labels often draw attention to glycosides’ origin in the leaf.
