Food industry production line

Harvesting:The first step is to harvest the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant. The leaves contain the steviol glycosides, which are responsible for the sweet taste. Drying:After harvesting, the leaves are dried to reduce their moisture content. Crushing or grinding: The dried leaves are crushed or ground into smaller particles, increasing the surface area for the extraction process. Extraction:There are several methods for extracting steviol glycosides from the crushed leaves. Some common methods include: Water extraction: The crushed leaves are mixed with hot water, and the steviol glycosides are leached into the water. This creates a stevia leaf extract. Ethanol extraction: The crushed leaves are mixed with food-grade ethanol (alcohol) to extract the steviol glycosides. Filtration:After the extraction process, the liquid extract undergoes filtration to remove any remaining plant material and impurities, leaving a more concentrated solution of steviol glycosides. Purification:The concentrated extract may still contain other compounds alongside the steviol glycosides, so further purification is necessary. Concentration: The purified steviol glycosides are then concentrated to increase their sweetness. This step reduces the volume of the final product, making it more efficient for storage and transportation. Drying and crystallization: The concentrated extract is dried, and the steviol glycosides are crystallized to obtain a pure form of stevia sweetener.