NESTEA STEVIA AS AN INNOVATION
Poured by
Milica Stefanovic
Iced drinks fans, especially those who are never tired of counting each and every calorie they consume, can finally enjoy their favourite Nestea iced tea which now contains as much as 30% less calories because it is sweetened using stevia.
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is a plant of the sunflower family whose leaves are source of intensive and all-natural sweetness. The sweetening extract obtained from this plant is used for sweetening foodstuff and drinks. Thanks to the numerous benefits it provides, and above all, the fact that it is completely natural and does not contain any calories, makes stevia a unique sweetener used widely throughout the world. Products sweetened using stevia are ideal choice for those who do not wish to give up on their sweet tooth and now can finally enjoy their favorite food and drinks without added calories.
It is interesting to mention that stevia has long history. Namely, the plant is native to South America where indigenous Amazon tribes cultivated, harvested and used it for centuries to sweeten their food and drinks. Sweetening extract obtained from the plant has 200 times the sweetness of sugar and the sweet active compounds of just one stevia plant can be used to sweeten up to 30 cups of tea or any other drink.
Independent experts from various global organisations and many studies published during more than 25 years of scientific researches have proven the safety of the compounds giving the sweetness to stevia plant leaves. Stevia plant sweetening extract is completely safe and can be used by adults, children and pregnant women. Since the stevia sweetener does not contain any energy values, as clinical trials have managed to prove, it does not affect blood sugar regulation mechanisms and is well tolerated by people with type 2 diabetes.
To extract the sweetening compounds contained in stevia leaves- steviol glycosides, they are simply steeped in water in a procedure similar to the one of steeping tea. That is the best way to release the best tasting substances. Next, they are extracted and purified through various stages to obtain all-natural sweetening extract. During all these stages and processes, sweetening compounds remain unaffected and chemically unaltered.
Due to all these facts and characteristics, the new Nestea iced tea now comes with fewer calories, at the same same time retaining its authentic flavour, simply because stevia extract does not affect its taste.
