Stevioside is the primary sweet glycoside extracted from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves, providing 250–300 times the sweetness of sucrose with zero calories and zero glycaemic impact. As the most natural-origin high-intensity sweetener available, stevioside is the ingredient of choice for clean-label, plant-based, diabetic-friendly, and keto formulations globally.
Applications:
- Zero-calorie beverage and functional drink formulations
- Diabetic-friendly food and supplement sweetening
- Clean-label and natural sweetener systems
- Pharmaceutical oral dosage forms (syrups, chewables)
Key Features & Benefits:
- 250–300x sweeter than sucrose — very low use levels
- Zero calories and zero glycaemic index
- Plant-derived — clean label and consumer trust
- Heat and pH stable — suitable for hot beverages and baking
- No animal substance – halal and vegan certified
Stevioside versus rebaudioside A
Stevia leaf contains several sweet steviol glycosides. Stevioside is the most abundant; rebaudioside A (Reb A) is sweeter and has less of the bitter, liquorice-like aftertaste. Products sold as “stevia” vary from high-stevioside grades to high-Reb A grades and blends with rarer glycosides such as Reb M, and the glycoside profile largely decides the taste. For flavour work, ask for the full profile by HPLC rather than a single purity figure.
Specification basis
International specifications (JECFA, Codex) define steviol glycosides by total steviol glycoside content on a dried basis, commonly at least 95%. The acceptable daily intake set by JECFA is 4 mg/kg body weight, expressed as steviol equivalents; because each glycoside converts to a different amount of steviol, dose calculations need the glycoside profile. In the EU, steviol glycosides carry the additive number E960.
In formulation
At very low use levels, stevia is usually pre-blended or dissolved first for even distribution. It is commonly combined with bulking sweeteners or other high-intensity sweeteners such as Sucralose to round the sweetness and mask aftertaste.
What to ask for on the certificate of analysis
- Total steviol glycosides (dried basis) and the full glycoside profile by HPLC
- Stevioside and rebaudioside A content
- Loss on drying, ash, pH and residual solvents (methanol, ethanol)
- Heavy metals: lead and arsenic
- Microbiology: total plate count, yeast and mould, E. coli, Salmonella
- Specification basis (JECFA or Codex), GMO and allergen statements
- Halal certificate, batch number, manufacture and retest dates
