[Click to download] the updated Chinese national standard for steviol glycosides!
In 2023, the Chinese national standard upgraded the steviol glycosides regulation and raised the total glycoside content required from 85% (w/w) to 90%. This keeps in pace with the changing stevia industry and also meets the requirement of improving taste for sugar reduction food and beverages.
Steviol glycosides is a type of tetracyclic diterpene. Stevia dry leaves contain many different varieties of steviol glycosides. According to the content in natural stevia dry leaves, they are Stevioside, Rebaudioside A(Reb-A), Rebaudioside C(Reb-C), Dulcoside A. The national standard reqiures that the total steviol glycosides should not be lower than 90%, and the according product is called ST90(or SG90).
Steviol glycosides can be a natural plan-based sweetener. High quality national standard ST90 steviol glycosides appeared to be white powder crystal. It is usually 200-300 times as sweet as sucrose. High content steviol glycosides can eliminate the bitterness along with flavone and polyphenol and bring about a clean sweet taste.
Compared to other steviol glycosides, the national standard ST90 is more economic and the price is only half of the Reb A ones. In most situations of sweetener compounding, ST90 can provide enough sweetness. It can also help reduce the costs for its high intensity of sweetness. At the same sucrose sweetness equivalence, the cost of ST90 is only 20%, with 0 calorie.
Currently, ST90 was mostly applied in spicy food, pickled food(including betel nut), roasted seeds and nuts, pickles,ect. When blended with other sweeteners, such as sodium cyclamate, sucralose, the compounds become quite close to sucrose. They can be widely applied in different kinds of beverages and dairy products.
National standard ST90 contains slight bitter aftertaste. When larger amount and stronger sweetness intensity (Sugar Equivalence Value>3%) is needed, we recommend higher grades of stevia, such as Reb-A97 series and even high-end RM and RD series. They can offer better tastes without bitter aftertaste.