How to Spot Real Stevia: Read the Label Like a Pro

Many shoppers want to know how to spot real stevia, because shelves are full of products called stevia that differ widely in ingredients, taste and price. So this guide shows you how to read the label and know exactly what you are buying.

What Is Real Stevia Sweetener?

The sweetness in the stevia plant comes from compounds called steviol glycosides. What regulators approve as a food sweetener is the purified extract, at 95% purity or more, not ground leaves or crude extract.^[1][2] Because this extract is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, it is usually blended with a bulking ingredient such as erythritol, so you can use it by the spoon or sachet.

Read the Label: What Each Ingredient Means

Ingredient on the label	What it means
Steviol glycosides / E 960 / Reb A / Reb M	This is real stevia, the source of the sweetness
Erythritol (E 968)	A bulking agent with almost no calories; large amounts can upset the stomach[3]
Dextrose / maltodextrin / sugar	Carbohydrates that add calories and, as a result, can raise blood sugar
Sucralose / aspartame / acesulfame	Other sweeteners, not stevia
Inulin	A dietary fibre used as a filler

5 Signs of Real Stevia

1. The sweet ingredient is stevia: look for steviol glycosides, Reb A or Reb M, and check there is no other sweetener such as sucralose.
2. No sugar or dextrose: if your goal is to avoid raising blood sugar, these defeat the purpose.^[4]
3. The type of stevia is named: good products state the type, such as Reb M, and sometimes the purity.
4. It is white: purified extract is white, whereas green powder is ground leaf, not the sweetener approved as a food additive.^[1]
5. The maker is clear: finally, the manufacturer, country of origin, batch number and expiry date are on the pack.

Stevia Powder, Drops or Tablets: Which Should You Choose?

Pure stevia extract is roughly 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar, so it is almost never sold on its own. It is mixed with something that makes it easy to measure. The form you choose decides what is added, so read the ingredients either way.

Form	What it usually contains	Best for	Watch out for
Powder sachets	Stevia extract with a bulking agent such as erythritol or inulin	Coffee and tea, especially on the go	Dextrose or sugar as the bulking agent
Liquid drops	Stevia extract dissolved in water or glycerin	Hot and cold drinks	Very strong; start with one or two drops
Small tablets	Stevia extract with binders	Carrying in a pocket or travelling	Some contain other ingredients, so check the label
Green powder	Ground stevia leaves	Not ideal as a daily sweetener	Grassy taste, and not the extract approved as a food additive

Is Genuine Stevia Safe?

Purified steviol glycosides (E 960) are approved food additives in the GCC under the Gulf standard GSO 2500, and they have been assessed by JECFA and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA set an acceptable daily intake of 4 mg per kg of body weight (as steviol equivalents), which is hard to reach from sweetening everyday drinks. Green powder and raw stevia leaves are not the same substance covered by that assessment. For possible side effects and who should take care, read stevia side effects.

Is Organic Stevia Better?

Organic refers to how the plant is grown, not to the purity or taste of the extract. In other words, organic stevia can be good, and non-organic stevia can also be very well purified. In the end, what matters most is the type of steviol glycoside and the other ingredients.

Why Do Taste and Price Vary?

For example, the older, cheaper Reb A can leave a bitter aftertaste. In contrast, the newer Reb M tastes closer to sugar, but it costs more because the leaf contains very little of it. So a price difference between two products may come from the type of stevia, not from one of them being fake. Read more in what is stevia Reb-M.

What Does Lucarise Use?

At Lucarise, we use stevia Reb-M at 95% purity or higher. In addition, our tabletop sachets (Classic and Cardamom) combine Reb-M with erythritol, with no sugar or dextrose, at 1 g per sachet, and this is clearly stated on the pack.

Quick questions

References

1. Center for Science in the Public Interest. Stevia / steviol glycosides: Chemical Cuisine rating (updated 2026). cspi.org
2. EFSA Panel on Food Additives (2010). Scientific Opinion on the safety of steviol glycosides for the proposed uses as a food additive. EFSA Journal 8(4):1537. doi.org
3. EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (2023). Re-evaluation of erythritol (E 968) as a food additive. EFSA Journal 21(12):8430. www.efsa.europa.eu
4. Anton SD, Martin CK, Han H, et al. (2010). Effects of stevia, aspartame, and sucrose on food intake, satiety, and postprandial glucose and insulin levels. Appetite 55(1):37–43. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Swapping sugar for stevia in a recipe or drink? Use our stevia to sugar conversion calculator to work out how much you need.

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