Steviol Glycosides (Stevia) (INS 960)

Quick Facts

INS Number

960

E-Number

E960

Category

Sweetener

Veg Status

Vegan

FSSAI Status

Permitted with restrictions

JECFA ADI

0-4 mg/kg bw (2010)

Composition

A mixture of sweet glycosides extracted from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a South American plant. The two main glycosides are stevioside and rebaudioside A; the most common commercial product is a refined extract standardised to a defined steviol-equivalent content. Sometimes labelled 'high-purity steviol glycosides'.

What is INS 960?

INS 960 is steviol glycosides, the sweet compounds extracted from stevia leaves. They are 200 to 350 times sweeter than sugar by weight and provide effectively zero calories. On Indian packs you see them in diabetic-friendly drinks, low-calorie sweets, tabletop sweetener sachets (often sold as 'Stevia'), and sugar-reduced beverages.

Why brands add it

Brands use it because steviol glycosides give sweetness without calories or blood-sugar spike, which makes them the default sweetener for diabetic-friendly and reduced-sugar Indian products. Unlike older non-nutritive sweeteners, stevia is plant-derived, which fits 'natural' positioning that artificial sweeteners cannot claim.

Where you'll find it

INS 960 commonly shows up on Indian packets in these categories:

• diabetic-friendly drinks and sodas
• low-calorie ready-to-drink beverages
• tabletop sweetener sachets and sticks
• sugar-reduced sweets and mithai
• low-cal yogurt and dairy desserts
• sugar-free chewing gum

Veg or non-veg? - Vegan

Steviol glycosides are extracted from the leaves of the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana). No animal product is used in their manufacture.

FSSAI status and JECFA evaluation

FSSAI: Permitted by FSSAI under Schedule I of the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 as a non-nutritive sweetener for specified food categories with category-specific maximum levels (for example, up to 200 mg/kg of steviol equivalents in carbonated water-based beverages). Notably, FSSAI's November 2023 advisory clarified that INS 960 is NOT permitted for use in 'cocoa and chocolate products' or 'imitation chocolate, chocolate substitute products' under the existing FSS Regulations 2011.

JECFA: ADI 0-4 mg/kg body weight expressed as steviol equivalents, established at 73rd JECFA (2010) and maintained at later evaluations. EFSA's 2010 evaluation set the same ADI; the 2024 EFSA opinion extended the authorised forms (E 960a-d) and confirmed the ADI.

Also known as

On packets, in recipes, and in conversation, INS 960 is also called: