Stevia Presents Bitter Challenge

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Flavor experts are still trying to unlock the secrets of stevia. Extracts from the South American plant have the benefit of being all-natural, zero calories, and up to three hundred times sweeter than sugar. Four months ago, everyone was calling it the “holy grail” of sweeteners, and there was almost a sense that if the Food and Drug Administration would only approve the stuff, the soft drink industry would spontaneously revitalize itself and the entire world would break into joyous song.

Then it happened. Then the FDA gave “generally regarded as safe” notice to two stevia-based products, PepsiCo put out three flavors of stevia-sweetened SoBe Lifewater, and Coca-Cola launched Sprite Green.

It was pretty gross.

Apparently, stevia is one superhero that requires a mask. It has an aftertaste that’s either bitter, licorice-flavored, or of “clinging sweetness.” Drink makers are still enthusiastic about stevia, but clearly there remains some work to be done.

Several companies are working on the problem. Comax Flavors this week announced that it was releasing a natural masking flavor to cover up stevia’s unpleasant aftertastes. And last month, Givaudan Flavours said it had discovered the bitter taste receptors that stevia sweeteners trigger, and applied for patents related to these discoveries. Meanwhile, Blue California, along with other companies, has suggested that if you only use purer stevia extracts, like they do, everything will taste fine.

But McNeil Nutritionals has the best solution. Its new Sun Crystals All Natural Sweetener uses stevia, but mixes it with another product to mask the taste — sugar. The result is still natural, but not quite as calorific as sugar by itself.

Tags: FDA, Beverage, Federal Government, Food & Beverage, Government, Manufacturing, Katherine Glover

Katherine Glover is a Minneapolis-based print, radio and online journalist. She's written for Salon.com, Sierra Magazine and many others, and she does a weekly blog on immigration issues for MinnPost.

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Price, Taste and 'Natural' Status Still Hurdles for Stevia

BNET Food - 190 days 23 hours 56 minutes ago

Cargill recently announced some new successes working with rebiana, a zero-calorie sweetener derived from stevia plant extract. It’s been predicted that stevia will revitalize the soft drinks industry and be the “holy grail” of sweeteners, but stevia’s bitter aftertaste has proved a challenge. Cargill says it’s developed ways to make...
Stevia Might Hit $100 Million

Food Product Design - 47 days 9 hours ago

CHICAGO—According to recent analysis released by Mintel, the market for stevia might break the $100 million barrier during 2009. The market-research firm even went as far as calling the all-natural, zero-calorie ingredient the “holy grail” of sweeteners
Stevia Might Hit $100 Million

Food Product Design - 47 days 8 hours 39 minutes ago

CHICAGO—According to recent analysis released by Mintel, the market for stevia might break the $100 million barrier during 2009. The market-research firm even went as far as calling the all-natural, zero-calorie ingredient the “holy grail” of sweeteners
Stevia Might Hit $100 Million in 2009

Culinology - 47 days 8 hours 54 minutes ago

CHICAGO—According to recent analysis released by Mintel, the market for stevia might break the $100 million barrier during 2009. The market-research firm even went as far as calling the all-natural, zero-calorie ingredient the “holy grail” of sweeteners. FDA approved use of rebaudioside A (reb A) in Dec. 2008. Reb A is considered the...
Sweetener Competition Heats Up

Brandweek - 141 days 20 hours 33 minutes ago

Stevia Extract In The Raw, one of the three major competitors in the zero-calorie, all natural sweetener category, is launching a campaign next week touting the purity of its ingredients.The push comes as major beverage makers like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola roll out new product introductions using the sugar substitute. Last December, shortly before...

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1

nwberean

03/18/09 | Report as spam

RE: Stevia Presents Bitter Challenge

I have started using stevia (liquid) in coffee and tea and haven't encountered an aftertaste. Perhaps stevia is reacting to other chemicals/gases in the softdrinks rather than it having its own bitter aftertaste.

Perhaps commercial application is the wrong path for stevia. Perhaps, as noted, when added to the chemical/gaseous soup most popular drinks are made of, it just won't work. Yet works on a personal (or person x person) application with few if any problems. (Compare aspartame when used for baking/high heat - doesn't work.)

So far I'm happy. I just hope the corporations don't wreck a good thing.
2

efelix05

03/20/09 | Report as spam

RE: Stevia Presents Bitter Challenge

Because Stevia has been the recent "talk of the town" now that social health consciousness is rising, "junk food" beverage manufacturers obviously appear to be "jumping on the bandwagon" in hopes to convince the general public that because they have a "natural" product ingredient, that their product is now "better" for us. Simultaneously, of course, the "green" effect (and I don't mean carbon footprint!) of this marketing effort continues to be monitored. Nonetheless, I agree with 'nwberean' regarding the possible "mixing mishap" of stevia with all of the chemical ingredients in popular softdrinks. Oh yeah...did I mention that perhaps the focus should be on what health-promoting benefits softdrinks can bring to the American diet, instead of what stevia can do to a softdrink???
3

unpoedic

06/09/09 | Report as spam

RE: Stevia Presents Bitter Challenge

i have noticed no aftertaste when stevia is introduced to beverages (primarily hot tea)--but i /did/ encounter an unpleasantly sweet, almost bitter taste when the other day i added a sprinkling of stevia to kellogg's mini wheats. to ensure this taste originated from the sweetener and not from the cereal or milk (both purchased that day), i endured a belly-swelling second bowl "in the name of science." this time, no stevia = no aftertaste. stevia is a good thing, though not yet perfected.

H.S., 25, IA
4

stevelaw1

06/29/09 | Report as spam

RE: Stevia Presents Bitter Challenge

Not all stevias possess a bitter aftertaste. One such stevia extract, that manufactured by SweetLeaf, has all the sweetness and no bitter aftertaste. SweetLeaf is already the number one tabletop stevia sweetener, and the company that makes it (Wisdom Natural Brands) has more experience in stevia than all other manufacturers combined - their GRAS stevia sweetener was the FIRST stevia with a self-affirmed GRAS affirmation. And yet, it's funny that this article doesn't even mention them.

The secret to removing the aftertaste is not one done in the lab developing masking agents, it should be done in the extraction facility. ALL stevias that require masking agents (and that is all of them except for Wisdom's SweetLeaf Sweetener), are extracted and "purified" using alcohol and methanol. Only SweetLeaf is made with the highest grade stevia leaves and purified water. Nothing else.

So the answer is clear. If you don't want any aftertaste in your stevia extract, DON'T use alcohol and ethanol. Leave those chemicals for car fuels as before.
5

Susan4

07/02/09 | Report as spam

RE: Stevia Presents Bitter Challenge

Reply to Stevelaw1:

Hear! Hear!