The Low Calorie Sweetener Stevioside: Stability and Interaction with Food Ingredients

• Published in: Food science & technology Vol. 32; no. 8; pp. 509 - 512
• Main Author: Kroyer, G.Th
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; caffeine; Food additives; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; interaction; low calorie sweetener; organic acids; Research and development. New food products, dietetic foods and beverages; stability; stevioside; water-soluble vitamins; caffeine; water-soluble vitamins; interaction; low calorie sweetener; stevioside; stability; organic acids; Biochemical analysis; Chemical stability; Vitamin; Stevioside; Food additive; Experimental study; Organic acids; Thermal stability; Intermolecular interaction; Water soluble compound; Storage; Health food; Formulation; Processing parameter; Sweetener; Caffeine
• ISSN: 0023-6438; 1096-1127
• DOI: 10.1006/fstl.1999.0585

The stability of the low calorie sweetener stevioside during different processing and storage conditions, as well as the effects of its interaction with the water-soluble vitamins ascorbic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, pyridoxine and nicotinic acid, the organic acids acetic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid and phosphoric acid, the other common low calorie sweeteners saccharin, cyclamate, aspartame, acesulfame, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, and caffeine in coffee and tea, were evaluated. Incubation of solid stevioside at elevated temperatures for 1 h showed good stability up to 120°C, whilst forced decomposition was noticed at temperatures exceeding 140°C. In aqueous solution stevioside was remarkably stable in a pH range of 2–10 under thermal treatment up to 80°C; however, under strong acidic conditions (pH 1), a significant decrease in the stevioside concentration was detected. Up to 4 h of incubation with individual water-soluble vitamins in aqueous solution at 80°C showed no significant changes with regard to stevioside and the B-vitamins, whereas a protective effect of stevioside on the degradation of ascorbic acid was observed, resulting in a significant delayed degradation rate. In the presence of other individual low calorie sweeteners, practically no interaction was found at room temperature after 4 months of incubation in aqueous media. Stability studies of stevioside in solutions of organic acids showed a tendency towards enhanced decomposition of the sweetener at lower pH values, depending on the acidic medium. In stevioside-sweetened coffee and tea, very few significant chances in caffeine content or in stevioside content were found.