Stevia, steviol glycosides and Truvia^® stevia leaf extract

Truvia^® stevia leaf extract is the first well-characterized, food grade, high-purity form of rebaudioside A, the best-tasting component of stevia. Truvia^® stevia leaf extract is 97% pure rebaudioside A, and its quality and consistency are backed through Cargill's agronomy and manufacturing processes.

"Stevia" refers to the entire plant or leaf, or to crude extracts of stevia leaves, which may contain many different components in addition to rebaudioside A.

What is Truvia^® stevia leaf extract, and how does it differ from stevia?

All studies were conducted using Truvia^® stevia leaf extract material meeting Cargill's finished product specifications for the commercial product. Truvia^® stevia leaf extract is 97% pure rebaudioside A, the best-tasting component of stevia. The remaining 3% consists of other steviol glycosides (the sweet components of stevia leaves). Many previous studies used crude extracts of stevia - an undefined mixture of many substances found in the stevia leaf - or stevioside. The research program conducted is the first to scientifically and thoroughly evaluate a well-characterized, high-purity form of rebaudioside A.

What was the exact formulation of Truvia^® stevia leaf extract used in the clinical studies?
What are the other components besides rebaudioside A?

Yes. This means the quality and consistency of the product can be ensured regardless of the application or use.

Will this be the same formulation that will be used in all marketed products?

No. Truvia^® is the brand name. Truvia^® stevia leaf extract is the common or usual name for this new ingredient derived from the stevia plant.

Is Truvia^® natural sweetener the same as Truvia^® stevia leaf extract?

The research suggested that rebaudioside A is the best-tasting of the steviol glycosides (the sweet components of stevia leaves). Since rebaudioside A is almost identical to stevioside, the appropriate studies were conducted to establish that the vast numbers of safety studies conducted with stevioside are also applicable to rebaudioside A. We also specifically addressed several unresolved safety questions so we could bring Truvia^® stevia leaf extract to consumers in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Why did you choose to develop rebaudioside A instead of stevioside, for which there is already a wealth of data?

After consultation with regulatory authorities and leading respected scientists, Cargill commissioned rigorous metabolism, safety and clinical studies to answer specific questions and establish the safety of Truvia^® stevia leaf extract for use as a general purpose use sweetener.

If stevia is a natural product that's been used safely for decades, why did you conduct this research to establish the safety of Truvia^® stevia leaf extract?

Cargill sponsored various studies to affirm earlier positive safety findings for steviol glycosides (including rebaudioside A, the main component of Truvia^® stevia leaf extract) and ensure that Truvia^® stevia leaf extract is broken down by the body in the same way as stevioside, which has been studied extensively. The companies also wanted to answer specific questions posed by international experts and national regulatory authorities, so that consumers in countries where Truvia^® stevia leaf extract is not presently allowed could have the same access to Truvia^® stevia leaf extract as consumers in Japan and other countries in Asia and South America.

How does the Truvia^® stevia leaf extract research program compare to that of surcalose and other artificial sweeteners?

Both research programs ensured safe human consumption. Sucralose was a new chemical compound that people had not been exposed to previously, and it therefore required a large research program to demonstrate its safety. It was also a patented ingredient and so its manufacturer had an interest in using the food additive process that provides a larger measure of information protection than the GRAS process. Truvia^® stevia leaf extract has a significant history of safe human consumption via stevia and related steviol glycosides (the sweet components of the stevia leaf). The Truvia^® stevia leaf extract research program was able to rely, in part, on a large body of safety research conducted with stevioside, a nearly identical steviol glycoside. Therefore, the Truvia^® stevia leaf extract research program was focused on addressing past uncertainties and resolving specific questions.

Members of press and media, please contact Elsevier directly for a free copy of the science publications: newsroom@elsevier.com.

How does the daily consumption of Truvia^® stevia leaf extract you evaluated in your clinical studies relate to what real intakes could be?

The daily consumption selected for the clinical studies was the equivalent of drinking approximately eight 8-oz servings of a Truvia^® stevia leaf extract-sweetened beverage - or 29 packets of sweetener - every day. Based on comparisons to existing high-intensity sweeteners, it is possible to predict that most consumers would consume less than this amount on a daily basis.

How did you estimate intake of Truvia^® stevia leaf extract?

There is a great deal of data on daily consumption of high-intensity sweeteners such as aspartame, ACE-K, sucralose, and saccharin among typical consumers and those who have relatively high levels of consumption in the U.S. and a number of other countries. By comparing the sweetness intensity of rebaudioside A to other sweeteners, it is possible to estimate how much Truvia^® stevia leaf extract would be consumed by the average person and high use-level consumers.

Given the large number of people who could be exposed to Truvia^® stevia leaf extract, is your clinical program sufficient to establish the safety of the product?

Stevia has a long history of use in many countries in Asia and South America, and there is a vast body of scientific research on stevioside - which is almost identical to Truvia^® stevia leaf extract. Based on the history and on our own rigorous scientific evaluations of Truvia^® stevia leaf extract, Cargill is confident that Truvia^® stevia leaf extract is a safe product for use as a general purpose sweetener.

Additionally, while stevia-based products have generally been in a less pure form than Truvia^® stevia leaf extract and have not been permitted for use in the U.S. as sweeteners, such products have been consumed as a dietary supplement by a very large number of consumers in the U.S. for many years without reports of significant adverse health effects.