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No triumph of sweetener Stevia
Stevia is used as a sweetener today in numerous foods and drinks, although the first products have already disappeared from the market. The success story of the low-calorie and non-edible sweetener began in Europe in 2011 with the approval of stevia herb extracted steviol glycosides as a sweetener for various foods. Since then, the new sweetener has replaced traditional sugar in many places, but development is lagging far behind initial expectations.
The Stevia plant itself is not yet approved as food in this country, since first their health safety must be documented in the context of an official authorization procedure, which, according to the "aid infodienst - nutrition, agriculture, consumer protection e. V. "has not been successful so far. However, steviol glycosides (sweet-tasting chemical compounds of the plant) derived from stevia may be used under the number "E 960" as a sweetener for various foods. For this purpose, a chemical isolation of steviol glycosides occurs, but the valuable ingredients of the plant are lost, explains Dr. med. Udo Kienle, agricultural scientist at the University of Hohenheim, who has been working on the plant Stevia rebaudiana and its sweeteners since the early 1980s.
The use of stevia extract as a sugar substitute is far below expectations. (Image: Daniele Depascale / fotolia.com) Stevia stake falls short of expectations
Stevia extract is now being used as a sweetener in a range of foods, including soft drinks such as cola and iced tea, confectionery, some milk products and fruit spreads, according to the aid info service. Just recently, beverage company Coca-Cola launched its green "Coke Life", sweetened with stevia extract and thought of as a healthier alternative to classic Coca-Cola. Overall, according to the aid info service, Stevia sweet products are still more "niche" products, mostly sourced from small or medium-sized businesses. "The expected sweeping turnaround of sugar for the stevia extract remained so far. For this purpose, on the one hand, the intrinsic taste of the sweetener is made responsible, on the other hand, the statutory limits for the use of steviol glycosides in food as an inhibitor in the expansion of use.
Food industry struggles with stevia
"For the industry, dealing with steviol glycosides is difficult," agricultural scientist Kienle is quoted by "Welt Online". The licorice-like taste of Stevia, which varies depending on the amount and method of production, is a problem here. The mandatory Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) value, which sets the maximum daily allowance, also represents another hurdle in the use. Because the ADI value is set relatively low, many products can only use part of the Sugar be replaced by steviol glycosides. However, ADI adjustment required further long-term studies on the effects of steviol glycosides. According to the aid information service, steviol glycosides are generally taboo for organic foods, as their authorization is limited to conventional foods.
Allowed daily maximum dose relatively low
According to the cookbook author and trained dietician, Kirsten Metternich, the planned maximum daily dose is normally no problem with the domestic use of stevia extract. Cooking and baking with stevia is basically harmless. Anyone who consumes a piece of cake sweetened exclusively with stevia sweetener will not get close to the ADI value, Metternich told Welt Online. However, it can be problematic if several sweetened with stevia foods are consumed in larger quantities every day. In particular, children with low body weight should be cautious, as the ADI will be slightly exceeded if, for example, high amounts of Stevia-sweetened lemonades are consumed.
Stevia extract significantly sweeter than sugar
The general assumption that steviol glycosides are more natural than other sweeteners, according to the dietician is also not tenable. Nevertheless, the Stevia extract is an enrichment for the sweetener family, the expert reported in the article of "World Online". In particular, the high sweetness (200 to 300 times stronger than sugar) and the suitability for diet foods in diabetes are advantageous here. With small amounts of stevia extract already a tremendous sweetness can be achieved, which is why at home use the dosage recommendations should be strictly observed, so that the food is not too sweet. Here are liquid sweet or granules recommended for use in your own kitchen. The quantities are about knife tips, so Metternich on.
Taste of Stevia
According to the cookbook author, the taste of Stevia blends well with nuts and spices such as cinnamon or anise. If the taste is distracting, the Steviolglykoside could also be mixed with sugar, so Metternich on. In this way, the licorice-like flavor tastes lost. For example, given 100 grams of sugar on a recipe, 50 grams of sugar and half to a full teaspoonful of stevia powder could be used instead. In addition, ready-made table sugar is available on the market, which has already been mixed with steviol glycosides and therefore contains fewer calories.
Stevia plant with healthy ingredients
In the South American countries of origin of the Stevia plant, this was also valued as a medicinal plant, the stevia extract without the valuable ingredients of the plant but does not achieve a comparable effect. This requires a consumption of the plant parts, which in this country is made much more difficult in view of the sales ban. In order to enjoy their healthy ingredients such as calcium, magnesium and chlorophyll, gardening and stevia expert Peter Klock advises "Welt Online" to grow the plant himself. Here, a single plant can cover the need for sweetener for a full year. Stevia Powder and Liquid Concentrate can be made from the plant for use in sweetening. The powder is made from dried and finely ground leaves of the plant. The liquid concentrate can be obtained by boiling the leaves and thin shoots. After the parts of the plant have been boiled until a large part of the liquid supplied has evaporated, they are distilled and the greenish sweet concentrate is left behind. Also, the leaves could be fresh, for example, used as tea. In addition, stevia leaves are a sweet component of salad dressing, reports cookbook author Metternich.
Positive effect on health
As a possible health benefits of stevia are in addition to the neutral effect on the blood sugar level and the prevention of tooth decay also a hypotensive, digestive and antidiabetic effect in the discussion. In addition, stevia is said to have a positive effect on wound healing and the ingredients of the plant are said to be anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer. However, so far the scientific evidence is missing for this. Also, the steviol glycosides have little in common with the original plant, so the reference of the Federal Association of consumer centers and consumer associations on the portal www.lebensmittelklarheit.de. For this reason, the steviol glycosides should not be referred to as "natural sweeteners". (Fp)