Cornell scientists reduce the bitter aftertaste of stevia
Food scientists from Cornell University have reduced the sweetener stevia’s bitter aftertaste by physical – rather than chemical – means. Stevia, extracted from the plant Stevia rebaudiana, is a sweetener and sugar substitute. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar and contains no calories making it appealing as an alternative to sugar. However, stevia contains a glycoside molecule that gives it a bitter aftertaste that, until now, has limited the commercial possibilities for the sweetener.