Stevioside

Stevioside (CAS 57817-89-7), also known by its food additive designation E960, is a natural high-intensity sweetener extracted from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana.

Where is Stevioside used?

• Food and beverage: sweetener in reduced-sugar and zero-calorie soft drinks, dairy alternatives and confectionery
• Baked goods and specialised nutritional products
• Tabletop sweetener blends with bulking agents such as erythritol or maltodextrin to improve mouthfeel and handling
• Oral care: sweetness without fermentable sugars in toothpastes and mouthwashes
• Cosmetics: humectant behaviour supports moisture retention
• It delivers sweetness estimated at 200 to 300 times that of sucrose.
• Steviol glycosides can be processed in many ways due to their good water solubility, heat stability and compatibility with various fruit and vegetable acids.
• In condiments, it can replace sucrose, prolong shelf life, and prevent browning reactions.

Good to know: Potency allows target sweetness profiles at very low inclusion rates. Not to be confused with sucrose, as it is a calorie-free alternative.

Formulation notes

• Stevioside has a licorice-like, bitter off-taste, whereas Rebaudioside A has a pleasant sweet taste, so extracts containing almost 100% Rebaudioside A and only small amounts of Stevioside have no bitter aftertaste.
• A steviol glycoside extract with 98% rebaudioside A, 2% stevioside, and 95% purity (Reb A98) can be used up to 254 mg to provide 80 mg steviol equivalents.
• In orange juice, stevioside is used at a general amount of 0.75 g/L.
• Steviol glycosides can never fully replace household sugar because sugar has a natural preservative effect in jams and provides necessary volume in baked goods.

Typical specification

• The JECFA purity standard requires a stevia extract to contain at least 95% steviol glycosides.
• The conversion factor for stevioside to steviol equivalents is 0.40.
• The conversion factor for rebaudioside A to steviol equivalents is 0.33.
• Stevioside is stable over a pH range of 3 to 10.
• It is stable up to 198°C in thermal processes.

Regulatory status

• The maximum level of steviol equivalents in flavored drinks is 80 mg/l.
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 1131/2011 governs the use of steviol glycosides in more than 30 food categories.
• JECFA established an ADI for steviol glycosides (expressed as steviol equivalents) of 4 mg/kg body weight per day.
• Steviol glycosides have been authorized as high-intensity sweeteners in the EU since the end of 2011.

Storage, packaging and handling

• Stevioside can be shipped at ambient temperature without any cooling measures, as stability tests show.

Frequently asked questions about Stevioside

Can steviol glycosides be used in organic foods in the EU?

Steviol glycosides are not listed in the EU organic regulation and therefore may not be processed in organic foods, even if the Stevia leaves used as raw material come from organic farming.

What are the maximum permitted levels of steviol equivalents in cocoa and chocolate products and in chewing gum?

The maximum level is 270 mg/kg in cocoa and chocolate products and 3300 mg/kg in sugar-free chewing gum.

What are the maximum permitted levels of steviol equivalents in snacks and processed nuts?

The maximum level is 20 mg/kg in snacks on a potato, cereal, flour or starch basis and 20 mg/kg in processed nuts.

Technical content is compiled and updated by the SoleChem product team from public technical sources; the certificate of analysis (COA) governs product-specific specifications.