Truvia FAQ
What exactly is Truvia?
Truvia is a brand of zero-calorie sweetener that is manufactured using the sweetest compound of the stevia leaf, rebiana. Truvia is manufactured by Cargill, and has been developed after years of extensive research. Truvia was developed as a response to a widespread demand for a natural no-calorie sweetener. Unlike other stevia supplements that use a combination of several stevia leaf components as their base, rebiana is sourced from only those components of the stevia leaf that have the highest quality taste, and sweetness.
What is the difference between truvia and the other sweeteners available in the market?
Although stevia has been used for many years to sweeten beverages, the products used a mix of many components of the leaf as their base. The result was a sweetener that left a bitter aftertaste in the mouth. Soon, food technology experts learned how to separate and isolate the sweetest part of the leaf. This was used as the base for a superb tasting, completely natural sweetener that left no bitter aftertaste. Almost all the other sweeteners available in the market are either made of artificial derivatives, or not 100% calorie free.
Is Truvia the same as rebiana or Stevia?
No, it isn’t. Stevia is the name that is used loosely to refer either to the stevia plant itself, or the various supplements or sweeteners that are made from stevia. Rebiana is the name given to the best tasting ingredient of the plant. Truvia is a brand of natural, zero calorie rebiana-based sweetener manufactured by Cargill. While stevia and rebiana are sourced from stevia plant leaf, rebiana itself is a compound in the plant that has been isolated by Cargill The name “stevia” is commonly used to refer to a combination of several components. When you hear the word “stevia” in relation to dietary supplements, it includes several components, and not just the sweetest tasting ones.
How is Truvia processed?
At first, there is the rebiana leaf, which is then harvested, and dried. The dry leaves are then soaked in water to release the sweetest compounds of the leaf The process is similar to the one that kicks in when you brew tea. Once this sweet tasting compound is released, it undergoes a process of purification to create a high quality food grade ingredient. The end product contains the high quality sweet taste of rebiana.
Is Truvia an organic sweetener?
Although Truvia is a natural plant based sweetener, it is not harvested under organic farming conditions at this point in time. If there is a consumer demand for organic truvia, organic farming is a possibility.
Where is stevia grown?
The stevia crop is harvested mainly in Paraguay, and China
How is Erythritol used in the production of Truvia?
Erythritol is a zero calorie sugar substitute that is present naturally in melons, pears, grapes, mushrooms, soy sauces, wine and cheese. The commercial production of Erythritol began in 1990, and since then, it has been widely used as an additive in food and averages Erythritol not only gives foods and beverages a sweet taste, but also adds bulk and texture. Erythritol is added to Truvia to enhance the bulk and texture of the product.
Is Truvia safe for use?
Yes, Truvia has been found to be safe for consumption. Before introducing it into the market, Cargill undertook a series of scientific studies to confirm Truvia’s safety for consumption. All these studies found that Truvia is safe for use. Studies conducted earlier had also found that Truvia is safe, and these new studies not only confirmed the results of earlier studies, but also answered several questions about rebiana that had been left unresolved. The results of these studies are available in the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal. A commission of independent food experts made an exhaustive study of all information, and came to the conclusion that rebiana is safe for use as a natural sweetener.
Why has new research been conducted to confirm Truvia’s safety, when stevia has been consumed safely for years?
These studies were conducted to confirm the findings of earlier research that found steviol glycosides to be safe, and also to confirm that the process of breakdown in the body is the same for both rebiana and stevioside. Through these studies, Cargill wished to answer questions from experts from other countries where rebiana has not been approved. This was done so consumers in these countries could also benefit from the natural sweetness of rebiana.
What is the intake limit for Rebiana?
Rebiana is confirmed as a general purpose sweetening agent that can be used in both foods and beverages. During clinical studies, rebiana consumption equaled eight servings of a beverage sweetener of rebiana, with each serving being eight ounces each. That makes it close to 29 packets of sweetener. It’s highly likely that the average daily intake of a person would actually be less than this. To estimate the average intake of rebiana on a daily basis, researchers relied on the extensive data that is available on the consumption of commonly available sweeteners, like sucrolose and saccharine. The intensity of sweetness of these sweeteners was compared with rebaudioside A, and thus, researchers were able to estimate the amount of daily rebiana consumption on an average.
Will Truvia be promoted as a health product?
Cargill plans to market Truvia as a new, no-calorie sweetener that has been developed to meet the demands of a healthy consumer for a natural sweetener that tastes great.
In what food products can we except to see truvia?
A number of food companies will begin to formulate Truvia for use in their food products. This is expected to happen after Truvia is introduced in its tabletop form.
How soon will American consumers be able to buy Truvia?
Truvia is expected to be initially introduced in a few selected areas in the U.S, with expansion in other markets planned soon after. Truvia will make its début as a tabletop sweetener, and over a period of the next 12 months, Cargill plans to proceed with different applications for its use in food and beverage products.
How are Cargill and the Coca-Cola company working together on Truvia?
The development of rebiana is the result of a joint collaboration between the Coca-Cola Company and Cargill. The ingredient will be available in the market under the jointly owned brand name, Truvia.
How is stevia cultivated?
The cultivation of stevia begins with the planting of the seedlings. When the plant reaches 4 inches in height, it is harvested, and then put through a drying process. The dried leaves are then transported to traders.
The United States Agency for International Development recommends stevia cultivation as a replacement for tobacco cultivation. The agricultural practices that are used in stevia production are the same ones that are used in the cultivation of tobacco.
Will stevia cultivation result in deforestation?
There is a false assumption that commercial stevia cultivation involves encroaching on the rain forest. The fact is that much of the stevia that is harvested is sourced from farms in the topographical plains.
Does stevia production involve the use of pesticides?
Stevia is a pest resistant plant, and requires negligent amount of pesticide use.
Is stevia production undertaken on large commercial farms?
Stevia cultivation is typically done on small farms, and farming can often be side by side with other crops. A typical stevia farm measures about 1/10th of a hectare.
How much land is needed to produce Truvia?
Typically, 10,000 kgs of stevia leaves can be produced on 5 hectares of land, covered by 550,000 plants. This output can result in 1,000 kg of crude rebiana extract that, in turn, can be purified to produce 250 kgs of food grade rebiana. A single rebiana plant produces enough truvia to be used in at least 30 cups of coffee.
What exactly is Cargill’s agronomic program, and how is it related to Truvia?
Cargill has developed a far reaching strategy that is aimed at the promotion of rebiana in the global market. The company’s agronomy program is a part of this strategy, and through this program, the company plans to develop and foster partnerships with South American and Asian farmers. The goal is the cultivation of the highest quality stevia, and the development of better farming practices that can result in high yields, as well as quality products. Through these partnerships, the company plans to develop sustainable stevia farming methods that are gentle on the environment.
Does Truvia have any food safety standards applied to it?
As a multinational company, with a presence across 16 countries Cargill has a highly developed set of global food safety standards. These standards are applied at every state of Truvia production.
What is the composition of Rebiana?
Rebiana consists of 97% of the best tasting and the sweetest component of the stevia leaf, Rebaudioside A. The remainder 3% is comprised of steviol glycosides, which are the other sweet compounds in this leaf. Studies conducted earlier made use of a crude mix of several compounds found in the leaf. Through a highly specialized research program, Cargill has been able to isolate rebaudioside A in its purest, and most high quality form.
Will the Rebiana composition be consistent across all products?
Yes. The production of rebiana includes processes to maintain consistent quality throughout all its applications.
How has the research for rebiana differed with research conducted on other sweetening products?
In the case of other sweeteners like sucralose, the compound was new, and hence, extensive studies were necessary to confirm its safety for use. Rebiana however, has been used for many years in the form of stevia products and supplements, which have been widely available. Also, researchers already had much of their investigative work done for them, because of the extensive work that had already been done on stevioside, a steviol glycoside which is identical to rebaudioside A.