FAQ

You will find here the most frequently asked questions about Stevia.

Is Stevia toxic?

Stevia is a non toxic natural sweeteners, used by Japanese since 1971. Allowed in many countries for few years now, Stevia can be use in lot of differents food and beverages as sweetener, to replace aspartam or to low calory rates in diet products.

What is steviol glycoside?

Steviol glycoside is the molecule which gives the sweet taste of Stevia and is 40 to 300 times more sweeter than sucrose. Steviol glycosides are extracted from stevia leaves. 

What are the benefits of Stevia?

Stevia has several benefits: 

• it is a sweetener completely natural;
• steviol glycosides are calory free;
• it's non toxic and safe even if it's used every day;
• It can be used for baking (until 200°C);
• It can be used by diabetic people to replace sugar;
• It permits to reduce calory rates in a lot of product by mixing lower rates of sugar with stevia.

What kind of products contain Stevia?

A lot of products already contain stevia. You can find it in non alcoholic and fruit beverages, fruit sirup, industrial cakes, jam, and a lot more. 

Aims of the World Stevia Organisation

The World Stevia Organisation is a non-profit-making international organization. In no case, part of its assets or incomes shall benefit to any private or individual partnership or corporation. 

Created in May 2010 for the first conference about Stevia organized by SFA, WSO is the result of a coordinate willing of SFA, ISANH and JSA committees. They were looking for new strategies to prevent chronical diseases like obesity or diabetes. One of these was Stevia application in food and beverages. SFA, ISANH and JSA decided to set up a committee in order to link together all people involve in Stevia at all levels: the WSO was born.

The aims of WSO are to:

• Advance the practical applications of Stevia and low calories natural sweeteners.
• Analysis and provide recommendations to WSO's members, health decision makers and institutions about the last Stevia and all natural sweeteners trends, uses and problems.
• Transfer the basic researches and data into a real clinical and pharmaceutical applications
• Transfer the basic researches and data into a real nutritional and nutraceutical applications
• Bridge Stevia and all natural sweeteners related users and manufactures
• Bring together the countries involve in Stevia and all natural sweeteners and pool their knowledge
• Highlight the knowledge on Stevia
• Grow and help emerging countries in their development
• Informe about the scientific research and the worldwide regulatory evolution
• Give keys to companies to succeed in Stevia Formulation
• Encourage communication and interaction among researchers, physicians, nutritionists, industrials, food technology and strategic marketing managers through Network Sessions
• Promote the nutritional and health benefits of Stevia
• Exchange ideas, information, education and coordination of International Meetings on Stevia
• Offer a forum for discussions on the late-breaking discoveries in all fields of Stevia through international publications and internet diffusion

You will find more information on the Membership page.