Stevita Organic Spoonable Stevia 16 Oz. (Pack of 2)

The sweetest tasting crystals produced by the stevia plant (USDA Certified Organic grown on Stevita's own farms) makes a 1 gm serving of this Stevita Spoonable as sweet as 3 packets of sugar. To make it possible to package the powder in small individual servings and make easier to control the sweetness of the packet, the Stevita Co. blends it with certified organic erythritol, a sugar alcohol, derived from fruit , grains and vegetables, and which is commonly used as a food bulking ingredient. No other ingredients or natural flavors (masking flavors to improve the flavor of the stevia extract) are used. 1. WHAT IS STEVIA? Among the many plants of the Compositae family, the Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni is the only one that produces intensively sweet tasting substances called "steviol glycosides". The Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni is a perennial plant that can reach 4 ft tall and is native of the highlands of central southeast South America covering portions of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. For centuries the Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni has been used by the local natives and first settlers of the area, as a traditional medicine for diabetics and also as a source of sweetener for their drinks and teas. 2. WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE STEVIA IN PACKETS, JARS OR IN BULK SOLD IN THE USA MARKET The vast majority of stevia extract used by local manufacturers and sold in packets, jars or in bulk in the USA market is produced in China.. 3. WHAT TYPES OF STEVIA CAN I FIND IN THE MARKET? A - EXTRACT - The purity of the extract is determined by the % of steviol-glycosides, the sweet tasting crystals, in the final product. In an extraction process, called EM (Enzymatically Modified) the stevia extract is produced by a reaction of stevia leaves , glucose and enzymes. This product has a pale yellow color and, usually a fruity or honey taste which is due to the glucose and enzymes used in the extraction process. The final product has a high % of glucose. Stevita is a non-EM product.