Sugar reduction using steviol glycosides

Sugar reduction continues to be an important issue for the food and beverage industry, with increasing pressure from consumers and government seeking reduced calorie options. Many consumers are also resistant to consuming artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. The food and beverage industry is therefore looking for more natural alternatives to such products. One option is the use of steviol glycosides.

Initial work, in a simple system (water), indicated that blending steviol glycosides with sugar was beneficial. Due to its relatively low permitted level of use in beverage systems compared to its relative sweetness it is not expected that steviol glycosides will usually be the sole sweetening ingredient of products.

A second study assessed the flavour profile of steviol glycosides in a more complex fruit juice-based system. By using a toolbox approach of several ingredients, including thickeners and flavourings, it is possible to develop reduced calorie, fruit juice-based beverages. In a product such as this, steviol glycosides may be used for sweetening without the detection of undesirable taints such as bitter aftertaste, but maintaining the characteristic mouthfeel.

In a study with carbonated beverages, a higher level of steviol glycosides was required to make a product with similar flavour profile to a full sugar control. As with fruit juice based drinks, the reduced sugar versions did not have the same flavour profile as the full sugar control.

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Contact: Rachel Gwinn
+44(0)1386 842034
rachel.gwinn@campdenbri.co.uk