LA STEVIA
Description and Geographical Origin:
Small shrub that can reach 40 to 60 cm, sometimes up to 1 m in height, Stevia flowers all year round in the tropics and in August-September in our latitudes. This plant is native to Paraguay, a region called Amambay, in the heart of the subtropical forest, in the south-east of the country. It is a very mountainous and somewhat isolated region, which perhaps explains why Stevia has remained so long unknown in our regions.
Story :
The Guarani Indians living in this region of Amambay have used the Stevia rebaudiana species for centuries in their diet and as a medicinal plant. They called it “ka’a he’e”, which means “sweet grass”, and used it to sweeten the bitterness of mate (local tea). It was first described in 1899 by the Swiss scientist, Dr Moisés Santiago Bertoni:
“When one observes this plant, nothing in particular catches the eye, but when even a small piece of leaf is placed in the mouth, one is impressed by its sweet taste. »
Sweetness:
Stevia gets its sweetness from a family of molecules called “steviol glycosides”. The members of this family of natural molecules, the best known of which are Stevioside and Rebaudioside A, which have a sweetening power ranging from 60 to 350 times that of sucrose, are non-fermentable, non-digestible, and therefore have a caloric value and a almost zero glycemic index.
Steviol glycosides: sweetness compared to sucrose *
- Stevioside : 250 to 300
- Rebaudioside A : 300 to 450
- Rebaudioside C (or dulcoside B) : 60 to 120
- Dulcoside A : 60 to 120
- Rebaudioside B : 300 to 350
- Rebaudioside D : 250 to 400
- Rubusoside : about 200
- Steviolbioside : 100 to 125
* Reference: “Stevia and steviol glycosides” by Jan MC Geuns
Types
We have various type of Stevia Extract (Reb A 60% & Reb A 98%)
THE MAKING
Our organization is characterized by a complete control of all the stages of manufacture and marketing of our stevia extracts. We can thus guarantee you a range of extracts made in France with unique traceability as well as long-term security of supply.
1 • STEVIA SOURCING
– Long-term sourcing with historical partners
– Varietal selection with partners
– Complete traceability
– Analysis laboratory allowing rigorous quality control (a benchmark in Europe)
– Diversification of sources (South America / Asia / Maghreb / Europe…)
– Short stream > Presentation of Stévial
2 • PURIFICATION: EUROPE (France)
– HACCP, GMP, FSSC 22000 purification site
– Guarantee of European production standard
– Transparency of our facilities (Audits/visits)
– Wide range of purified extracts
– Quality control of tip in our internal laboratory
| Country of origin | Grade | Remarks |
| France | Nutraceuticals Grade | Available |
| France | Pharmaceuticals Grade | Available |