Chapter 03Growing & processing
Farming a better sweetener.
The most sugar-like stevia sweeteners start with the best leaf. We select non-GMO varieties rich in the leaf's most sugar-like compounds, giving developers a plant-based, zero-calorie sweetener with more upfront sweetness and no bitter aftertaste.
From leaf to sweetener
How stevia is made.
The sweetness comes straight from the plant, and the process is simple: it uses water.
- 1
Propagate
Stevia starts as cuttings or seedlings raised in greenhouses, where young plants get a strong, protected start.
- 2
Plant out
Young plants go into the paddock in spring and grow through the warm Australian summer.
- 3
Harvest & dry
When small white flowers appear, the plants are harvested and the sweet leaves are dried.
- 4
Steep
The dried leaves are steeped in water, much like making tea, to draw out the sweet compounds.
- 5
Purify
The extract is purified to concentrate the best-tasting steviol glycosides into a finished sweetener.
An expanding Australian growing network.
Australian Stevia draws on a broad, established agricultural network across Australia and sources stevia from a growing number of crop producers, mainly in Queensland. Our technical partnership with CQUniversity builds on more than a decade of the university's research into growing stevia in Australian conditions.
We are committed to building a large-scale, non-GMO stevia supply from plant to ingredient to meet the demands of the global food and beverage industry. We work closely with universities and with private and public companies to help them achieve deeper sugar reduction without losing great taste.
01
Non-GMO
Varieties developed through traditional cross-breeding, focused on the most sugar-like parts of the leaf.
02
Research-led
Crop trials and extraction research with CQUniversity to optimise stevia for Australian conditions.
03
Processing, in development
Our planned Australian processing facility will refine Australian leaf close to the farm, shortening the supply chain and keeping quality under our control.
Enquiries · Supply · Samples
Grow with us.
Interested in growing stevia, or need a reliable Australian supply? Let's talk.