Stevia is a natural sweetener. Stevia leaf extract powder and stevia bulk powder are widely used in the market. Although they are both derived from the same plant, there are significant differences in ingredients and many other aspects. The following will elaborate on the difference between stevia extract and stevia powder, and analyze it from multiple angles as much as possible.
Source of raw materials
●Stevia extract:
Bulk stevia extract powder is made from stevia, usually from the leaves of stevia. Stevia plants contain a variety of steviol glycosides, which are the main active ingredients of stevia extract. When selecting raw materials, attention should be paid to factors such as the variety, planting environment, and growth stage of stevia.
●Stevia powder:
Pure stevia powder also uses stevia as raw material, but the processing method of raw materials is different from that of extracts. It is generally made by directly crushing the leaves or whole plants of stevia after drying and other preliminary treatments, retaining some other components of stevia except steviol glycosides. Such as cellulose, minerals, etc.
Ingredients
●Stevia extract:
The main component of stevia extract is steviol glycoside. This includes stevioside, rebaudioside A, and other glycoside compounds. These components are the main reason why stevia leaf extract powder has high sweetness. Its purity is usually high, generally reaching more than 80%, or even higher. The specific purity depends on the production process and product requirements. In addition to steviol glycosides, it may also contain a small amount of other ingredients. Such as residual solvents, trace impurities, etc. However, the content of these ingredients is usually low.
●Stevia powder:
The composition of 100 pure stevia powder is relatively complex. In addition to steviol glycosides, it also contains dietary fibers such as cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and some minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients in stevia. Because the stevia raw material is directly crushed without a deep separation and purification process, the content of steviol glycosides is relatively low, generally around 10% - 30%. The content of other ingredients is relatively high.
Appearance
●Stevia extract:
Stevia extract is usually a white or off-white powder with a fine and uniform texture. Due to the high concentration and drying process, the powder has good fluidity and is not easy to clump. Under the microscope, the particle shape of 100 pure stevia extract is relatively regular and the size is relatively uniform.
●Stevia powder:
The color is generally light green or yellow-green, which is similar to the color of stevia raw materials. Natural stevia powder texture is relatively coarse and not as fine as stevia extract. This is because it has not undergone a fine purification and treatment process. Under the microscope, the particles of stevia bulk powder are irregular in shape, with large differences in size, and some structures such as plant cell fragments can be seen.
Taste and flavor
●Stevia extract:
Stevia extract bulk has a strong sweetness, which is about 200-450 times sweeter than sucrose. The specific sweetness depends on the type and purity of steviol glycosides. Its sweetness is pure and has no peculiar smell, but when used in high concentrations, it may have a slightly bitter or metallic taste. This is mainly due to the chemical structure and taste characteristics of steviol glycosides.
●Stevia powder:
Stevia powder also has a sweet taste, but the sweetness is relatively low. It is generally about 30-50 times that of sucrose. In addition to its sweet taste, it may also have some grassy or plant flavors of stevia itself. This is due to the presence of other ingredients in stevia. In some applications, this grassy taste may need to be masked or removed by some special treatment methods.
Solubility
●Stevia extract:
Stevia leaf extract powder has good solubility in water and can be quickly dissolved to form a clear solution. This is because steviol glycosides are polar compounds and have strong interactions with water molecules. Its solubility at different temperatures is different. Generally speaking, the higher the temperature, the better the solubility. It also has good solubility in some organic solvents, such as ethanol. It can also play a role in some application scenarios that require the use of organic solvents.
●Stevia powder:
Stevia leaf powder bulk has relatively poor solubility in water. Because it contains a large amount of insoluble components such as cellulose, it may form a suspension or have partial precipitation after dissolution.
Stability
●Stevia extract:
Pure stevia extract bulk is relatively stable under general storage conditions, but it may decompose or deteriorate under conditions such as high temperature, high humidity, or light. The stability of stevioside under acidic or alkaline conditions is also different. It is relatively stable under neutral or weakly acidic conditions. In strongly acidic or alkaline environments, reactions such as hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds may occur, resulting in reduced sweetness or the production of other by-products.
●Stevia powder:
Due to the presence of more natural ingredients, stevia bulk powder's stability is affected by many factors. In addition to factors such as temperature, humidity, and light, the oils, vitamins, and other ingredients in it are prone to oxidation and other reactions. This will cause changes in the color, smell,l, and taste of the green stevia powder bulk product. In addition, the microbial content in raw organic stevia leaf powder may also affect its stability. If the storage conditions are not appropriate, microorganisms may multiply and grow, causing the product to deteriorate.
Application areas
1. Stevia extract
● Food and beverage industry:
Stevia extract is widely used in various types of sugar-free or low-sugar food and beverages. Such as beverages, candies, cakes, dairy products, etc. As a sweetener to replace traditional sugars such as sucrose, it can not only meet people's demand for sweetness but also reduce calorie intake. It is suitable for special consumer groups such as diabetics and obese people. For example, adding organic whole leaf stevia extract to carbonated beverages can give the beverage sweetness without increasing calories. Used in candies, low-calorie sugar-free candies can be made.
● Healthcare products industry:
It is often used in the production of healthcare products. Such as oral liquids, tablets, capsules, etc., have health functions such as regulating blood sugar and lowering blood pressure. Some studies have shown that steviol glycosides in organic stevia leaf extract powder have certain biological activity and are beneficial to human health.
● Pharmaceutical industry:
It also has certain applications in the medical field. For example, as a sweetener for drugs, it is used to improve the taste of drugs, especially for children's drugs and some drugs that are difficult to swallow. In addition, 100 stevia extract may also have some potential medicinal value, such as protective effects on the cardiovascular system, and related research is constantly deepening.
2. Stevia powder
●Food industry:
Whole stevia leaf powder can be used to make some foods with special flavors. For example, bread and biscuits can provide a certain sweetness, increase the dietary fiber content of food, and improve the nutritional value of food.
●Seasoning industry:
Stevia bulk powders can be used as an ingredient in seasonings to prepare some sweet seasonings. Such as sweet noodle sauce, barbecue sauce, etc., to add a unique flavor to the seasoning.
●Agricultural field:
Pure green stevia powder can also be used in agricultural production as an organic fertilizer or soil conditioner to help improve soil fertility and promote plant growth. This is because stevia select pure stevia powder contains some minerals and organic substances, which have a certain nutritional effect on soil and plants.
Although stevia leaf extract powder and stevia powder are both derived from stevia, there are obvious differences in many aspects. Guanjie Biotech has focused on bulk stevia leaf extract powder and stevia powder for sale. We are a stevia products supplier. If you are a health supplement manufacturer, you can consider our product. Welcome to enquiry:info@gybiotech.com.
