All Natural Sweetener Truvia Debuts in the United States
There is a new all natural sweetener on the market … Truvia!
Truvia Sweetener Debuts in the United States
Truvia is a new sweetener that has recently been approved by the FDA in 2008. Cargill, a company based in Wayzata, MN, and developed in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company, markets Truvia. Rebiana is the trade name for Truvia, named after the compound Rebaudioside A. Rebaudiosize A is isolated from the leaves of a plant called stevia. The compound was isolated from the plant because it is the sweetest part of the stevia plant, creating a great and natural sweet taste. The plant usually has a bitter aftertaste, but Truvia has been modified to decrease this aftertaste. The stevia plant is a shrub native to Paraguay. It is also grown for its sweet leaves in South and Central America. The plant is commercially grown in China. Stevia had been used in Japan for decades before it was approved in the United States.
What is Truvia?
The extract from the stevia plant is 300 times sweeter than sugar and it has been used as a sweetener for food and drinks for over 200 years. The process of making sugar from this plant is similar to the tea making process. The leaves are harvested and dried and steeped into fresh water. It is then purified and crystallized.
For many years, the stevia plant has also been used as an herbal dietary supplement. stevia has also been widely used by natural food advocates, but in the past it was not allowed to be used as a food additive because of questions regarding safety.
Truvia differs from many other stevia products because it is supported by extensive safety studies.
Brief History of Truvia
Cargill and Coca-Cola, who are both giants in the food industry teamed up to create a four-year effort to conduct scientific studies and to refine and remove the sweet elements of the stevia plant. The two companies were able to extract the sweetest elements of the plant and eliminate the bitterness it naturally gives off. They also funded many different toxicological safety tests to prove that it is safe to be put on the market.
In May 2008, Cargill and Coca-Cola revealed a series of scientific studies to demonstrate stevia’s safety. The studies were presented to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The studies were also published in the advance online edition of Food and Chemical Toxicology. The results of the studies showed no signs of possible health issues and that stevia is safe in reasonable doses. Some, but not all studies have been conducted on laboratory animals.
Many people are pleased that the companies have conducted reliable studies using good resources. It eases the mind of using a controversial product.
The Perfectly Natural Alternative to Artificial Sweeteners
Erythritol and natural flavors are also added to Truvia. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that is naturally fermented. It is also found in pears and grapes. Erythritol is made by a culture similar to the process of making yogurt from milk. It is more than 99 percent pure.
Truvia has no calories. It of course tastes sweet, but it does not have an aftertaste like some artificial sweeteners. It has a different consistency than sugar. The crystals taste similar to the glaze on donuts.
Truvia is a healthy alternative to NutraSweet, Splenda, Equal, and other artificial sweeteners because it is a natural sweetener. Stevia is a better substitute than the chemical processed sweeteners, aspartame and sucralose. It also tastes better than artificial sweeteners. Stevia has a lower glycemic load, which means that when it hits the bloodstream, the insulin response is lower and less severe. This means that it is also a good alternative for people with Diabetes.
The Truvia crystals come packaged in little packets in a flip-top container. The flip-top box was designed and manufactured in St. Paul, MN. The packets are green and white. It is ironic that the package is green, because it is considered an all natural green product. One packet of Truvia is equivalent to two spoonfuls of sugar. The packets are very convenient for using in coffee and on food. Currently, Truvia is not sold in large amounts, but it most likely will be as its popularity increases.
Currently Truvia is in its early stages, but it is used in Odwalla juices and sodas, such as Sprite Green. It may eventually be used in Coke, ice cream, yogurt, cookies, and other sugar filled things. It takes a lot of time to create products, often 2 years. Other food companies may be using Truvia in their products in the early part of 2009.
Since Truvia’s debut it has competed with the other artificial sweeteners. However, Truvia has one big competitor, PureVia, which is Pepsi’s own Stevia product. Stevia supplements may also become more mainstream in the market and replace some of the artificial sweeteners.
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3 Responses to “All Natural Sweetener Truvia Debuts in the United States”
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Will truvia ever be available in bags besides packets?
This product is excellent!
for the life of me, I can’t understand how the package being green is in any way ironic to it’s being a ‘green’ product. Think someone needs to learn how to use the word ironic or get a new thesaurus.
Get with it people!! Just buy all-natural Stevia products. No need for additives!Rebiana, the so-called stevia extract in Truvia, is is not an ingredient in stevia, nor can it be found in nature. It’s actually produced by the action of stringent alcohols and chemicals on various stevia glycosides. The “No Questions” letter from the FDA reports that Rebiana has residues of ethanol and methanol in it. Rebiana is simply the trade name developed in 2008 by Cargill. Truvia is only 9/10 of 1% Rebiana and masking agent. The remaining 99.1% is erythritol, a sugar extracted from corn with alcohol. Cargill, whise product Truvia is, has reported that their corn is 30% GMOs. (genetically modified organisms).