Name of the ingredient
Steviol glycoside (AAN)
Definition of the ingredient
Steviol glycosides consist of a mixture of compounds containing a steviol backbone conjugated to any number or combination of the principal sugar moieties (glucose, rhamnose, xylose, fructose, arabinose, galactose, and deoxyglucose) in any of the orientations occurring in the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. The ingredient can be produced by hot water extraction from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, by fermentation of non-toxigenic non-pathogenic strains of Yarrowia lipolytica and Saccharomyces cerevisiae that have been genetically modified with heterologous genes from multiple donor organisms to overexpress steviol glycosides, or through enzymatic treatment of purified steviol glycosides extracted from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni.
Ingredient specific requirements
Except for the incidental constituents given below, requirements are the same as in the specification monograph of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) for Steviol glycosides prepared at the 96th JECFA (2023), published in FAO JECFA Monographs 31 (2023)*.
| Test | Method reference | Acceptance criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Please refer to the FAO/WHO JECFA Monograph 31 (2023)* | |
| Characteristics | ||
| Identification | ||
| Assay | ||
Note: *Online Edition: "Combined Compendium of Food Additive Specifications" (pdf,111kb) | ||
| Test | Method reference | Acceptance criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Incidental metals and non-metals | ||
| Total heavy metals | BP (Appendix VII); Ph Eur method 2.4.8 | ≤ 20 ppm |
| Pesticide residues and environmental contaminants: (including agricultural and veterinary substances) | BP (Appendix XI L); Ph Eur method 2.8.13 | Complies |
Key to abbreviations:
BP = British Pharmacopoeia
Ph Eur = European Pharmacopoeia