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From the plant to the table
SWEET TRUTHS ABOUT STEVIA
HOW IS THE SWEETENER
OBTAINED?
Where is
stevia grown?
Stevia is a plant in
the chrysanthemum family native
to Paraguay, and its
leaf is a unique
source of intense,
natural sweetness.
1
A LITTLE BIT
OF HISTORY
Farming
Stevia starts off as a cutting that is cultivated in
greenhouses. In the spring, when the young
plants have grown to 7-10 cm, they are
transplanted in open fields.
Centuries ago
The plant stevia
rebaudiana was first
discovered by
indigenous people
who used the plant’s
leaves to sweeten
drinks.
By the 1800s
2
Harvesting and Drying
Once stevia leaves reach their peak sweetness,
they are harvested and dried.
Stevia consumption
was established
throughout South
America, including
Argentina and Brazil.
1931
Two French chemists
isolated the components (steviol
glycosides) that give
stevia its characteristic sweet taste.
3
Extraction of stevia sweeteners
In a process similar to steeping tea, the dried
stevia leaves are soaked in water to unlock the
best-tasting, sweet substance found in the leaf.
This substance is then further isolated and
purified.
4
Final product
The finished ingredient is a high purity
sweetener that can be used in combination with
other natural sweeteners like sugar and fruit
juice to deliver great-tasting low-, no- and
reduced-calorie beverages.
Leaf
5
Stevia uses
Stevia-based sweeteners are used in products
including:
Juices, tea and other beverages
Desserts
Sauces
Yogurt
Pickled foods
Breads
And as a tabletop sweetener.
Average
height
70 cm
1977
Japan began using
stevia as a sweetener
in foods and
beverages.
2008
A high purity stevia
extract containing the
steviol glycoside
rebaudioside A
(rebiana) earned
Genrally Recognized
as Safe status under
the laws administered
by the U.S. FDA,
allowing it to be used
in foods and
beverages.
2011
The European Food
Safety authority
approved the use of
steviol glycosides as a
sweetener in foods
and beverages
Steviol glycosides
were included in the
Argentine Food Code.
STEVIA-BASED SWEETENER
A natural sweetener
Considered specialists on plants and their
benefits, the indigenous people of Paraguay
have used powdered stevia leaves for
centuries to sweeten their beverages.
A sweet, delicious taste
Comes from the
best-tasting part of the
stevia leaf, which gives it
its great taste.
A zero-calorie sweetener
As it is 200 times sweeter than table sugar,
only a little is needed for a great sweet
taste, without adding calories to the foods
and beverages in which they are used.
Steviol glycosides extracted from the stevia plant are safe sweeteners permitted for use by numerous international authorities: the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the European
Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Mercosur, among others.
These data and facts on Stevia were compiled by Coca-Cola de Argentina from government data and third-party researchers.