Coca-Cola Removes Stevia From Vitaminwater After Uproar

 Coca-Cola is looking to make amends with fans of Vitaminwater by removing stevia from the drink.

The company had replaced Vitaminwater’s original formula with the sweetener in an attempt to make the product healthier. However, recipe change was met with backlash from fans of the original formula because the new formula allegedly had a strange taste.

Coca-Cola’s is reverting to its original formula for Vitaminwater which consists of a blend of sugar and crystalline fructose. The healthier version of the drink had a mix of sugar and stevia-based sweeteners.

Information and deatils of fillers and additives mixed in Stevia

Most of you have probably heard of stevia by now, and I’m sure many of you use it like I do, as a natural, sugar-free alternative sweetener. Since stevia comes from an herb and not a chemical, it’s the safest option out there if you want to avoid sugar completely. Though coconut sugar, maple syrup, agave, molasses, and cane syrup may be more natural, they all still raise the glycemic index number. Stevia on the other hand, (in a very pure form) does not raise the glycemic index and has been helpful for those dealing with high blood sugar that don’t want to turn to artificial sweeteners. However, the key to buying stevia (as with most anything else) is to know exactly what you’re buying instead of just relying on fancy marketing and gimmicky labeling tactics.

If you were to go to the health food store and locate stevia, you’d likely be overwhelmed with all the choices. Due to the rise of this popular sugar-free sweetener after years of having nothing but artificial sweeteners to choose from, consumers are flocking to this natural sweetener now more than ever. Yet, there’s a problem with the huge variety of stevia we now have access to, and it comes in the form of fillers and additives.

Turn over any package of stevia at the store and read the ingredient list. You’re likely to see more than just stevia on that list, especially if it’s an inexpensive brand. Most stevia products at the store contain one or more additives in order to bulk up the product and create a more free-flowing powder. Liquid stevia products may also be in a base of alcohol (much like vanilla extract), though many alcohol-free varieties are available.

For the most part, all powered stevia products will contain one of the following ingredients, so always pick one that you feel safest with or choose pure stevia to avoid any of them.

Common Fillers and Additives in Stevia

Maltodextrin -

A filler based from either rice, potatoes, or corn that provides a sweet taste and creates an free-flowing product. It also helps bulk up baked goods so it may be used for baking or for stirring into coffee, tea, smoothies, etc. without clumping. Since corn is often genetically modified, always buy a stevia product that’s either organic or non-GMO. Maltodextrin is not calorie-free however per serving, carbohydrates are less than 1 gram so producers are allowed to label product as zero-carb, calorie-free, etc.

Dextrose - a filler made from corn sugar, fruits or honey, it is closer to sugar than other fillers on the market. It’s very low in carbohydrates and calories so it’s allowed to be labeled as calorie-free. Like maltodextrin, it has a very sweet taste but is actually closer to sugar in its chemical form than maltodextrin.  I would suggest avoiding any products with dextrose if you follow a strict sugar-free diet. Again, if you do purchase products with dextrose, always choose brands that are certified non-GMO since corn is often genetically modified.

Inulin - one of the safest additives is a vegetable, prebiotic fiber known as inulin. However, don’t let the vegetable part fool you into thinking it’s necessarily healthy for you. Though it’s a good source of fiber, it doesn’t resemble broccoli or kale no matter how vegetable-based it is. Inulin has also been linked to gastrointestinal disorders such as bloating, gas, and general digestive upset.

Erythritol -

a sugar alcohol made from corn that generally tolerated wells, however since it is corn-based, you should try to buy GMO free brands when possible. Erithrytol is very low in calories and provides a sweet taste many people prefer to other additives. It’s  used in the brand Truvia, owned by Coca Cola among others on the market. This sugar alcohol has also been linked to digestive upset like most other sugar alcohols, so again, if you suffer from general digestive issues, this one might be best to avoid.

Xylitol - 

a sugar alcohol made from birch trees, this additive is one of the safest out there. It’s proven to be beneficial for oral health though like other sugar alcohols, it can cause digestive upset.

Glycerin-

The safest of all additives, in my opinion, glycerin is a liquid often found in alcohol-free liquid stevia products. It is derived from fruits and vegetables and does not raise the glycemic index. It also has a rounded, sweet taste to produce an optimal-tasting product. Glycerin doesn’t seem to cause issues in most people and is also used in alcohol-free forms of vanilla extract for the same purpose.

If you want to purchase stevia and want the purest product possible, always buy a powdered product that is 100 percent pure stevia extract (not stevia powder, which indicates it is a blend and not pure extract.)  It isn’t cheap to say the least, and it is hard to find in stores. However, it does taste the best and is the cleanest option possible. Another good choice is to choose pure liquid stevia and choose alcohol-free versions if possible. This will ensure the product won’t cause any glycemic or digestive issues or trigger any possible reactions. And of course, if you have a green thumb, you can always grow your own stevia.

You can use stevia to make so many delicious things such as sugar-free vegan protein bars, Sunbutter cups, cookies, or just use it to sweeten tea, coffee, and smoothies.

Do you use stevia? What products do you like the most?

Stevia Cultivation consultancy

Stevia is one of the most profitable crops for  coming future. As the crop is only source of natural sugar free / calorie free sweetener. People are being less hard worker that why they need calorie free substitute of sugar. Artificial sweeteners are problematic for  long term consumption. In the countries like Japan and Korea stevia sweetener contribute 50% market share. Stevia crop is propagated by seedlings. We can provide you stevia seedling (plants) .You will require 30,000 seedlings per acre. We provide complete consultancy from cultivation technology, planting material supply, nutrient management (manure), water management (drip irrigation installation), and the most important one the Buy back. We can also provide buyback facility before starting the cultivation to the growers so that they can be ensuring at marketing side.

In the consultancy we will assist you in

•     Understanding the basics of Stevia crop
•     Farm visit
•     Soil and water sampling of your farm
•     Land Development
•     Manure and other farm input supply
•     Irrigation system installation
•     Planting material supply
•     Pest management
•     Drying of the leaves, Buyback facility
•     Export market development
•     Processing of the leaves.

We are leading Agro Technology and Agribusiness consultancy provider. We strongly believe in business ethics. We have highly professional team of subject matter specialist of agriculture and allied disciplines. We believe in truly consultancy with independent and profitable solutions. For us agriculture is the base of development, height of development, strength of development, depth of development. For a long term sustainable social & economical development agriculture must be the axel. Agriculture development must environment friendly, sustainable, efficient use of available resources and non hazardous.

We provide Agro technology and Agribusiness consultancy through better utilization of your resources, value of your money, independent consultancy, cost effective, profitable solutions and complete satisfaction without any deviation.

Coca-Cola Life Stevia-Sweetened soft drink to Be Launched In U.S.

The diet CSD category continues to underperform the overall U.S. LRB market. Diet Coke, which accounts for almost one-fourth of the retail sales of diet CSDs in convenience-stores, witnessed a 6% fall in unit sales in the twelve-week period ending April. In contrast, Diet Pepsi’s volumes fell by only 3.3%. Coca-Cola had already launched its low calorie Coca-Cola Life in Argentina in June last year, and followed it with the launch of the drink in Chile in November. Sold in green colored cans, Coca-Cola Life caused a 7% rise in beverage volumes in Argentina last year, despite weak economic conditions in the country. After months of testing, the company is set to launch the product in the domestic market, in a bid to reverse the fortunes of the ailing diet segment.

However, despite the success in Argentina and Chile, Coca-Cola Life, which has two-thirds the calories in regular Coke, could fail to make an impact in the U.S. This is primarily due to the bitter aftertastes associated with stevia-sweetened drinks. Last month, Coca-Cola introduced a lower calorie version of its still water brand Glaceau Vitaminwater, which contains a stevia-sugar mix instead of the previously used fructose-sugar combination. This move came as Coca-Cola looks to reduce the sugar and calorie content in Vitaminwater, which was hit with a law suit in 2009 for allegedly presenting itself as a healthier drink that it really was. However, following the launch of the lower calorie Vitaminwater, avid consumers took to social media sites and other public forums to complain about the ill-taste of their favored water brand.

Coca-Cola - Life in green color back ground

Coca-Cola Could Use Reb M To Solve The Bitter-Aftertaste Problem

In December, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had given approval to the use of the stevia plant extract Reb M made by PureCircle, a leading supplier of stevia products, as a general-purpose sweetener. Coca-Cola has a five-year supply agreement with PureCircle for the development of sugar variants and other ingredients. Bitter aftertastes has been the main criticism associated with stevia derivatives, especially Reb A that is used in most stevia-fueled drinks. According to PureCircle, Reb M bears a taste more similar to table sugar than any other stevia product, and can be used to substitute sugar in high calorie foods and beverages without much alteration in taste. Although consumers seem to have rejected stevia in the water brand Vitaminwater, stevia and in particular Reb M might not significantly alter the taste of the cola based fizzy drink Coca-Cola Life.

Stevia:- A sweet herb, govt guideline made it disturb.

Stevia ; A sweet herb grown traditionally in southern america continent, was introduced in India 9-10 years ago. In these last 10 years the govt could not make any policy for the introduction of stevia in India. Many departments stared to work on stevia independently without proper coordination among each other. The research institutes started to  do the research on it. Medicinal plantation board distributed the subsidy on it through many state government without any proper marketing infrastructure. The research scholars completed their PhD on stevia.

After 10 years there are three major govt bodies who had not opened their cards on it. 

FSSAI : Food safety and standard authority of India. the newly formed regulatory body of govt which is responsible for regulations the food products in india, has not cleared it policies. On time it has issued the notice to ban it, the line of this issue is still not cleared. It banned it as artificial sweetener. but it is a natural sweetener. This is in teh codex list of FSSAI. A lot of the unbranded and branded stevia products are available on the medical and grocery counters. No one know what is happening, people are importing the refined form of stevia extract  from china and other countries. Every thing is in gray area. Some companies claim that they are having approval for the stevioside. I am still not able to understand how can FSSAI approve one one or two brand of a product instead of a particular product. Every thing is in gray area. 

ICMR :- Indian Council for Medical Research. This is the apex body which will decide the dose and intake of the stevia for human consumption. The body will decide the safe dose per day per kg weight.No efforts have been made by this body for stevia. The fact is also come in light that stevia cause cancer. The body will coordinate with international bodies of same level to clear stevia a safe for human consumption. whether the stevioside cause reaction or hazardous effect with other food intake. In foreign countries it used as producing low calorie beverages and other food items, but every thing is in gray in India.

MOFPI :-Ministry of food processing Industries. This is the ministry which will develop the indsuries based on the stevia products from processing of raw material to the food preparations and marketing. Still there is no guide line for licencing, regularizing,developing, and promotion of the stevia industry in India.

Farmers invested their money and affords in this stevai cultivation but he marketing side is still not clear. Agriculture institutes started to do the research but don't know who will use it.business man invested money in the stevia business but don't know to who they will sell it or who will their customer.

Being a diabetic capital, there is lot of scope of Stevia industry in India. due to the climatic condition it can be a good source of the foreign revenue for Indian Economy .