Stevia leaf has been the source of a natural sweetener for a long time, but until recently could not be marketed as such in the U.S. It was available as an herb and many of us happily used it to add sweetness to tea and such.
Finally big corporations found a way to use it as a sweetener without the USDA objecting. They extracted the sweet part, refined it, and added other ingredients. Some of us who tried this new version (as Truvia) found that while the taste was good, something about it gave us side-effects like gas pains. I looked up the other ingredients and found they were erythritol and unspecified "flavors."
Beverage Daily just shared The Science of Stevia, explaining that the extra flavors were added to cover a "licorice" taste in stevia that some find a bit bitter. Personally I didn't mind the taste when used in herbal teas or cocoa since they have a slight bitterness anyway. I didn't like the taste in baked goods though.
The new stevia-derived sweeteners are being marketed as natural, but I think the meaning of natural is being stretched a bit far in this case. To me something natural is something you could make in your own kitchen. And nowhere have I found the identity of the other flavors that are added.
April 30, 2009
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