More attention is being placed on the foods we have available to us, globally, than ever before. The health effects of those foods are of particular interest and dietary components that can lead to increased mortality risks are being singled out. Sugar is no exception, as it has ties to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc. The food and beverage industry has been evolving in many positive ways, including its approach to sweetness. At the heart of its challenge is to advance sweet tasting options without the nutrient displacement and caloric intake that sugar bears, and without sacrificing taste. People are in fact, demanding better sweet choices.
The Global Stevia Institute (GSI) drives information sharing about this natural, no-calorie, sweet option to expand the knowledge base of the category. Not fitting in either of the current sweetener models, stevia is neither sugar, as it has no calories, nor artificial sweetener, as it is a natural plant extract.