Myth Stevia products not natural

Consumer advocates found preservatives and other sweeteners in Stevia products

08/31/2012

In the course of a study, the Austrian Association for Consumer Information (VKI) found out that the Stevia products offered are by far not as natural as they are always advertised in advertising. Because the sweetener of the plant is predominantly obtained by industrial processes, according to consumer protection „no natural product“ more.

Stevia has nothing to do with naturalness anymore
For centuries, the natives of South America have known the Stevia plant as a tasty sweet plant. In December 2011, the EU Commission gave the go-ahead for the Europe-wide processing of the subtropical plant. Since then, the actually natural sweetener with the split-off substance steviol glycoside in foods is allowed. But the food industry seems to nullify any hope for a healthy alternative to traditional industrial sugar. A study by the Association for Consumer Information (VKI) summarizes that the sweetener Stevia in products sold in Germany has nothing to do with naturalness anymore.

Consumer advocates tested a total of 36 different Stevia products to see if they actually did „natural“ and „low-calorie“ are, as they are mostly advertised by the manufacturers. Although Stevia at first glance, both properties meet, on closer analysis Stevia products are but by far not as natural as advertising wants to make the consumer knows.

The sweetness comes from other substances
„Because only the steviol glycosides have been approved by the European Union and these are extracted using a complex industrial process from the natural plant“, reports the consumer initiative. This process is largely realized in China. During the industrial process, the dried leaves of the stevia plant are mixed with water or alcohol. The failures are then treated with salts, decolorizers and resins. This is followed by desalting and crystallization from alcoholic solutions until the sweetener (steviol glycoside) is at least 95 percent pure. In addition, the stevia varieties are often also added preservatives, stabilizers or release agents when offered in tablet or powder form.

„The sweetness often comes from other substances“, it goes on. Because in every third product, the experts found other sweeteners in the laboratory. Ten of the 36 varieties even contained conventional sugar. „Stevia is not all that natural, but steviol glycosides are no better or worse than other sweeteners“, is now the final summary of the VKI.

In Austria, the Ministry of Health was now prompted by advertising slogans from food manufacturers such as „sweetened with stevia“ or „naturally sweetened“ prohibit consumers from becoming obviously deceived. (Sb)

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Picture: Sigrid Rossmann