The Functional Ingredients laboratory at Reading Scientific Services (RSSL) has developed and validated a HPLC method for Rebaudoside A, one of the active components of soft-drinks sweetener stevia.
The test can be used on the raw ingredient and in a few finished products such as soft drinks and confectionery.
Other matrices are being worked on and will be added soon.
Reb A has recently received approval for use in France and, according to RSSL, there is strong expectation the rest of Europe will soon permit its use also.
The sweetener component is already approved for use in many other countries including Japan and USA.
RSSL's new analytical method will aid this development work, as it is important to know how Reb A levels are affected by processing and storage.
The method is sensitive and accurate, having a limit of detection down to 1mg/100g of raw material.
