Stevioside is a glycoside derived from the stevia plant, which can be used as a sweetener.
Origin
Stevioside is the main sweetener (along with
rebaudioside A) found in the leaves of
Stevia rebaudiana, a plant originating in South America. Dried leaves, as well as aqueous extracts, have been used for decades as a sweetener in many countries, notably in Latin America and Asia (Japan, China).
Stevioside was discovered in 1931 by French chemists who gave it its name.
The sweetening power of stevioside was estimated to be about 300 times stronger than cane sugar.
Safety
Since 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not objected to the use of stevia extracts and some purified steviosides, mainly stevioside and
rebaudioside, as GRAS for use as an ingredient in manufactured foods.
See also
