The components of stevia show excellent effects in enhancing the flavor and sweetness of food and beverages. Stevia plays multiple roles in the food and beverage industry. Its stevioside and stevioside A components are particularly suitable for ice cream and soft drinks, adding a unique flavor to the products. Meanwhile, stevioside can also work in synergy with other sweeteners such as sucrose chloride, aspartame and cyclamate to further enhance the sweetness. In addition, stevioside and its salts also perform well in the ripening process of fruits and vegetables, while stevioside itself is often used as an aroma and flavor enhancer in food, beverages or pharmaceuticals. What is more worth mentioning is that stevia can also be used for salt-free storage of food and to make hard candies together with ingredients such as lactose and maltose syrup. Stevioside also performs well in candy production and can be used to make chewing gum, bubble gum, and various flavored gummy candies, such as those with flavors like papaya and pineapple.
