The consumption of Stevia is booming
Health care is an issue of growing concern to an increasing number of people. In this context, the control of sugar consumption is of interest to a large part of the population, especially due to the recommendations of the main organisations and public administrations that advise reducing sugar consumption. This situation, together with the general interest in the search for natural products, has encouraged an increase in the consumption of sweeteners such as stevia.
Among the intensive sweeteners such as saccharin, sucralose, aspartame, etc., stevia is the most natural in origin as it is produced from the stevia leaf. In addition, the new generation of stevia, based on molecules that provide better organoleptic properties, is now available on the market.
Benefits of stevia
Stevia commonly found on the market is about 250 times sweeter than sugar. Like other intensive sweeteners, it has aftertastes that can be masked by combining it with other ingredients or additives.
Stevia is calorie-free, which, together with the above characteristics, makes it a good alternative in products for energy-reduced diets. In addition, its vegetable origin allows it to be included in vegan products, one of the most important and growing market trends.
Stevia Reb M
At Quimidroga we go one step further and, in addition to offering natural, GMO-free, allergen-free and calorie-free stevia, we propose a stevia based on Reb M rebaudoside that provides a more intense sweetness than the stevia currently marketed and, moreover, with a profile much more similar to sugar.
These are other steviol glycosides present in the stevia leaf that have a more sugar-like taste and a higher intensity, allowing the dosage to be reduced to achieve the same sweetness. It is produced by bioconversion, an enzymatic and environmentally sustainable process.
Innovation in the world of sweeteners
In the traditional process, steviol glycosides are extracted and purified from the stevia plant. This extraction process involves soaking the dried leaves like a tea in order to separate and further purify the best sweet-tasting components, i.e., the steviol glycosides, such as rebaudoside A. Obtaining other rebaudosides through this process is not feasible due to the small quantity of these molecules.
Reb M-based stevia, recently approved in Europe by EFSA and regulated under the additive E-960c, is a sweetener produced by the patented natural bioconversion process, which allows the Reb M molecule to be obtained with better properties than that currently on the market.
This enzymatic process, which imitates what happens inside the plant during the biosynthesis of steviol glycosides, makes it possible to obtain large quantities of these molecules, making bioconversion a viable process for the production of a high-purity end product and, at the same time, contributing to sustainability. Compared to other processes, bioconversion leaves a smaller carbon footprint, involves less water consumption than sugar production, and less soil is used.
It is also certified Non-GMO Project Verified, Kosher and Halal.
Stevia applications
There are many products where this interesting sweetener can be incorporated, making it a useful additive in many applications. Stevia can be found in both beverages and solid products. Examples include soft drinks, cake fillings, toppings, dairy products, sweets, special dietary products, chocolates, etc.
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