Stevia is currently considered as the ‘green gold’, as a natural sweetener used to reduce sugar and synthetic sweeteners. Moreover, Stevia as a natural and antioxidant ingredient can be used for the prevention of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.
The 8th World Convention on Stevia will be held in Berlin on June 4-5, 2018. Organized by the World Stevia Organisation (WSO).
Why a specific Conference dedicated to Food and Beverages Formulated with Stevia?
According to Professor Gerd Birkenmeier, President of the World Stevia Organisation (WSO): “Nowadays, consumers need a neutral taste adapted to their culture. During the previous editions of the convention, the main question remained unanswered was: ‘How to limit and hide the after-taste of Stevia in Food & Beverages?’. For the future, I’m afraid of the risk that consumers won’t accept Stevia formulated products if industrialists can’t anticipate and find an urgent solution for Stevia Taste. We have to react quickly to ensure the future of Stevia as natural sweetener.”
The main challenge of the 8th World Convention on Stevia and Food & Beverages is to find the perfect combination in terms of formulation and to determinate how to reach the perfect balance. The latest research, innovations and successful products formulated with Stevia will be presented at the event.
Stevia Tasteful Awards 2018
At the end of the conference, the attendees will be invited to taste and judge some Stevia Finish Products and Stevia Extracts in order to discern the Stevia Tasteful Awards 2018. Two categories will be awarded:
1. Stevia Tasteful Award – Finish Product Category
2. Stevia Tasteful Award – Extract Category.
For further information visit- www.wso-site.com
Moises Santiago Bertoni, an Italian botanist, is often credited with the discovery of stevia in the late 1800s, even though the native Guarani people had used it for centuries. Known as kaa-he (or sweet herb) by the native population, the leaves of the plant had many uses. In traditional medicine in these regions, stevia served as a treatment for burns, colic, stomach problems and sometimes as a contraceptive. The leaves were also chewed on their own as a sweet treat.
It took Bertoni over a decade to find the actual plant, leading him to initially describe the plant as very rare. About the same time, more farms started growing and harvesting the stevia plant. Stevia quickly went from growing in the wild in certain areas to being a widely available herb.
Today, stevia is part of the sugar substitute market.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates Americans added more sugar to their diet every year since the 1970s until 2000. When Americans dropped the added sugar, they turned to sugarlike extracts. The sugar substitute market was estimated to be worth $13.26 billion in 2015, according an analysis by Markets and Markets research firm. The firm projected that the market would reach $16.5 billion by 2020.
Just 18 percent of U.S. adults used low- or no-calorie sweeteners in 2000. Now, 24 percent of adults and 12 percent of children use the sugar substitutes, according to a 2012 review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
