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Rebiana in Baked Goods J. C. Fry. Connect Consulting, Horsham, U.K. Cereal Foods World 56(5):191-194. More than half of all Americans are trying to reduce their sugar intake, and similar numbers are scrutinizing food labels for information on sugar content. At the same time, there is a trend to create products with “clean labels” that minimize the use of synthetic additives. Rebiana, or high-purity rebaudioside A, is a good-tasting, zero-calorie, high-potency sweetener that is obtained from the dried leaves of the stevia plant through aqueous extraction and subsequent recrystallization. It can be used as a stand-alone sugar substitute or together with natural bulking agents such as erythritol and inulin to provide an alternative to both the functionality and taste of sugars in baked goods. This approach can reduce the impact of sugars listed on the product label, while meeting consumer needs for a nonsynthetic sweetening system. Rebiana is stable in baking processes, and very high recovery rates (96-100%) are obtained with flour-based systems. Although somewhat less stable at the low pH levels encountered with fruit fillings, etc., rebiana is still capable of withstanding typical process conditions. In addition to its use in fruit preparations, it is suitable for sweetening dairy-based fillings, frostings, and toppings and can benefit label declarations.
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