Stevia sweetener with improved solubility
The invention describes a stevia sweetener with improved solubility in an aqueous solution for convenience of use in the food and beverage industry.
1. A steviol glycoside composition with improved solubility in a water or water/alcohol solution,
wherein the steviol glycoside composition is stable in the water or water/alcohol solution for at least 1 day to greater than 30 days at a temperature from 0° C. to about 25° C.,
wherein the steviol glycoside composition comprises rebaudioside A and rebaudioside B, or rebaudioside A and rebaudioside D, or rebaudioside A and stevioside, or rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D, or rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside D and stevioside, and
wherein the steviol glycosides in the steviol glycoside composition are present in an amorphous, spray-dried form and the steviol glycoside composition has a solubility that is greater than or equal to 10 g/100 g water or water/alcohol solution.
2. The steviol glycoside composition according to claim 1 , wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, sec-butanol, isobutanol, tert-butanol, n-pentanol, sec-pentanol, isopentanol and neopentanol.
3. The steviol glycoside composition according to claim 1 , wherein the water or water/alcohol solution is from about 60% to about 1% alcohol by volume.
4. The steviol glycoside composition according to claim 1 , wherein rebaudioside A is the main component.
5. The steviol glycoside composition according to claim 1 , wherein the steviol glycoside composition is stable in water or water/alcohol solution at room or ambient temperature.
6. A sweetener composition comprising the steviol glycoside composition according to claim 1 and a sweetener.
7. The sweetener composition according to claim 6 , wherein the sweetener is selected from the group consisting of cyclamates and salts thereof, sucralose, aspartame, saccharin and salts thereof, stevia , rebaudioside A, xylitol, acesulfame-K, neotame, N [N-[3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)propyl]-alpha-aspartyI]-L-phenylalanine -1-methyl ester, glycyrrhizin, thaumatin, monellin, and combinations thereof.
8. A spray dried steviol glycoside composition comprising rebaudioside A and rebaudioside B, or rebaudioside A and rebaudioside D, or rebaudioside A and stevioside, or rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D, or rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside D and stevioside,
wherein the steviol glycoside composition is stable in a water or a water/alcohol solution for at least 1 day to greater than 30 days at a temperature from 0° C. to about 25° C., and
wherein the steviol glycosides in the steviol glycoside composition are present in an amorphous form, and the steviol glycoside composition has a solubility that is greater than or equal to 10 g/100 g water or water/alcohol solution.
9. The steviol glycoside composition of claim 1 , wherein the steviol glycoside composition further comprises rebaudioside M.
10. The steviol glycoside composition of claim 8 , wherein the steviol glycoside composition further comprises rebaudioside M.
11. The steviol glycoside composition according to claim 1 , wherein the steviol glycoside composition has a solubility of greater than or equal to 60 g/100 g water or water/alcohol solution.
12. The spray dried steviol glycoside composition according to claim 8 , wherein the steviol glycoside composition has a solubility of greater than or equal to 60 g/100 g water or water/alcohol solution.