Stevia FAQs:
What is Stevia extract made from?
Stevia is an extract made from the leaves of the Stevia plant prepared
for use in the tabletop sweetener area.
What is the taste of Stevia?
Stevia extract has no calories whatsoever and it tastes up to 200 times
sweeter than sugar. Depending on what you use it for (sweetening drinks,
for fruit recipes, strewing on muesli etc.) Stevia sometimes
has a slightly bitter after-taste. The reason for this is that Stevia highlights
and brings out all the tastes and flavours in a food.
What does "Kaa Hee" mean?
The Guarani people of Paraguay call the Stevia plant
the “Kaa Hee”. This means “sweet herb” in their language.
Where does the Stevia plant come from?
The Guarani tribe, who live in the Amambay Highlands in Paraguay,
have used the Stevia plant for countless generations and
over hundreds of years to sweeten their food.
Who discovered the Stevia plant?
Dr. Moisés Santiago Bertoni (1857-1929), a Swiss-Italian botanist,
was the first European to discover the plant in 1888.
What plant family does the Stevia plant belong to?
The Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni plant is a member of the chrysanthemum family.
Where is Stevia cultivated and harvested?
The Stevia plant is cultivated successfully today on 3 continents:
South America, Africa and Asia. Cultivation in Europe is also possible,
but it would need to be freshly planted every year.
In the warm, tropical regions of the Earth the plant grows for three years.
What are glycosides?
The leaves of the Stevia contain “steviol glycosides”.
These are the natural substances in the Stevia extract
that can taste up to 200 times sweeter than sugar.
What foods are suitable for sweetening with Stevia?
The sweetness of Stevia extract harmonises perfectly with a
very wide range of foods.
The best thing is to simply try it and experiment for yourself.
How many calories does Stevia have?
Stevia extract is virtually one hundred percent calorie-free.
Despite the ingredients needed for the pressing process
or as a filler for the sticks product variant (glucose)
the tabletop products have 82% less calories
(Süssina Stevia powder) and
99% less calories (Süssina Stevia tablets) than
sugar for example.
How safe is Stevia?
World leaders in food testing such as the FDA in the USA,
or the Swiss Federal Office certify that it is safe
for human consumption.
In April 2010 the European Food Safety Agency EFSA
published the results of a study showing that there
is no risk to consumers of Stevia tabletop sweetener.
Does Stevia have an ADI value?
Stevia is classified as a food additive by the EU
and has an ADI value (Acceptable Daily Intake) as a result.
This is set at ... mg / kg body weight.
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