E960: Steviol Glycosides Overview
Main role: sweetening
Also listed as: stevia sweeteners, steviol glycoside family
What is E960 (Steviol Glycosides Overview)?
Steviol glycosides are sweet compounds used in concentrated preparations rather than as whole stevia leaves. E960 is a useful family search term, while current labels and authorizations distinguish production routes through suffixes such as E960a, E960b, E960c, and E960d.
What does it do in food?
Its main role is sweetening. Sweeteners differ in intensity, bulk, and processing behavior. Intense sweeteners often need other ingredients to replace sugar’s volume. A sweetener declaration therefore does not tell you the complete carbohydrate or calorie content.
Food and formulation examples
- Reduced-sugar drinks
- Tabletop sweeteners
- Sweetener blends
These examples describe formulation roles, not a list of unrestricted legal uses. Availability and permitted applications differ by country and food category.
Label names and ingredient questions
Look for E960, E 960, or the ingredient name. Related names and label terms include stevia sweeteners, steviol glycoside family. A family code can cover more than one specified form; check the full declaration when the distinction matters.
Read the specific suffix when comparing products. A stevia claim can describe leaf-extracted, fermented, or enzymatically produced preparations, and the accompanying bulking ingredients vary between brands.
Is E960 safe?
EFSA retained an intake limit of 4 mg/kg body weight/day as steviol equivalents in 2024. EFSA steviol glycosides assessment (2024).
A label identifies the ingredient but usually not its concentration. Calculating daily intake requires the amount in the food and the quantities eaten.
Authorization and conditions of use
E960 is presented here as an overview of the steviol glycoside family. The specific production-route codes have their own entries and conditions; follow the links below for E960a, E960b, E960c, and E960d. For an EU product, use the European Commission food additive database to check the relevant food category and limits. Other countries may use different names or rules.