The patents cover separation methods for rebaudioside B, rebaudioside D and steviolbioside – compounds found in the stevia leaf that can significantly affect the taste of a finished product even when found in small quantities, GLG said.
“The steviol glycosides within the stevia plant have similar molecular structures making it very difficult to isolate any one from the other completely,” said GLG’s vice president of technology Kevin Li. “Even though RA [rebaudioside A] and STV [stevioside] are the two best tasting components among these steviol glycosides, a tiny amount of the other steviol glycosides can cause unwanted taste changes in application within food and beverages. With technology such as this, we are even further able to eliminate unwanted taste changes and keep the taste of our products consistent from batch to batch.”