Abstract:
Global trends in food consumption have evolved drastically in a negative way. One of the trends among them is high intake of sugars, especially sucrose. The consumption of added sugars has compromised health of its consumers, leading towards a variety of chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Sucrose, if consumed in an excessive amount can lead to the damage of our organs and ultimately disrupt the body’s usual hormonal cycles. Pakistan has been hit with the same health challenges and they are on the rise at an alarming rate. Which is why, the trends of food processing have shifted from use table sugar (sucrose) towards the use of sweeteners, particularly synthetic ones, worldwide. This raises the demand for sweetener with low calories as well a low glycemic index. Many of the natural or synthetic sweeteners have little or no prospect of becoming commercial ingredients because they do not meet a few of the key criteria required for commercial success. Stevia rebaudiana and its products have immense potential for commercial uses as a sweetener and a therapeutic ingredient. Being a zero or less caloric, Stevia is widely being used as an alternative crop to sugar in many countries, worldwide. The future of Stevia as a sweetener holds great promise but it needs a lot of more research regarding its cultivation, distribution and use in different areas of Pakistan. The objective of this review report is to create awareness and acceptance of Stevia rebaudiana, not only on a domestic level, but also at an industrial as well as national level as an alternative sugar crop.
Page(s):
217-217
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Abstract Book on Global Science Technology and Management Conference, Volume: 0, Issue: 0, Year: 2023