E960C - Enzymatically produced steviol glycosides

At a glance

• What it is: A zero‑ or very low‑calorie sweetener made from stevia leaf glycosides that are refined and adjusted using specific food enzymes for a cleaner, less bitter taste.
• What it does: Replaces sugar while keeping sweetness in soft drinks, flavored waters, dairy desserts, yogurt, confectionery, and table‑top sweeteners.
• Taste: Very sweet (hundreds of times sweeter than sugar), typically blended with other sweeteners or flavors to balance taste.
• Dietary notes: Used in sugar‑reduced and “no added sugar” products; suitable for most dietary patterns.

Why is E960C added to food?

Food makers use E960C to reduce or replace added sugar while keeping sweetness. It helps lower calories and can improve sweetness quality compared with some stevia extracts by reducing bitterness and aftertaste. In many recipes it is combined with acids, flavors, or other sweeteners to round out the flavor.

What foods contain E960C?

You’ll most often see E960C in:

• Soft drinks, energy and sports drinks, and flavored waters
• Flavored milks, yogurts, and dairy desserts
• Sugar‑free or reduced‑sugar confectionery, mints, and chewing gum
• Jams, sauces, and fruit preparations
• Table‑top sweeteners (powders, tablets, drops) It may also appear in some baked goods and breakfast cereals.

What can replace E960C?

Depending on the recipe, manufacturers might swap or blend E960C with:

• Other high‑intensity sweeteners: sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame K, neotame, advantame, or thaumatin
• Polyol (sugar alcohol) sweeteners that add bulk: erythritol, sorbitol, or xylitol Blends are common to fine‑tune sweetness curve, aftertaste, and mouthfeel.

How is E960C made?

Production starts with purified steviol glycosides from stevia leaves. Food‑grade enzymes then add, remove, or rearrange sugar units on the steviol core to create glycosides (such as rebaudioside M or D) that taste cleaner. The product is purified (for example, by filtration and crystallization) to meet purity specifications set in EU law for “enzymatically produced steviol glycosides.”¹

Is E960C safe to eat?

Regulators have evaluated steviol glycosides for safety, setting an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 0–4 mg per kg of body weight per day, expressed as “steviol equivalents.” “ADI” means the amount that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk.² In the United States, steviol glycosides are considered Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for specified uses and purity when used as sweeteners.³ In the European Union, E960C is authorized with detailed identity and purity specifications.¹

Does E960C have any benefits?

• Helps reduce added sugar while keeping sweetness, aiding calorie reduction in foods and drinks.³
• Very sweet, so only tiny amounts are needed compared with table sugar.³ These properties make it useful in “no added sugar” or “reduced sugar” products.

Who should avoid E960C?

Most people can consume steviol glycosides within the ADI, including children, as part of a balanced diet.² If your healthcare professional has advised you to limit non‑nutritive sweeteners for any reason, check labels and discuss options that fit your plan. Also note that some products combine E960C with other sweeteners; if you are sensitive to a specific sweetener type, review the full ingredient list.

Myths & facts

• Myth: “E960C is artificial.” Fact: It starts from stevia leaf glycosides and uses food enzymes to refine the mix for better taste.
• Myth: “All stevia sweeteners taste the same.” Fact: Different steviol glycosides have different taste profiles; enzymatic production shifts the mix toward cleaner‑tasting components.
• Myth: “E960C raises blood sugar like regular sugar.” Fact: It is a high‑intensity sweetener used at very low levels and does not contribute sugar like sucrose.

E960C in branded foods

On ingredient lists, look for “enzymatically produced steviol glycosides,” “stevia sweetener,” or “E960c.” Many brands pair it with flavorings, acids such as citric acid, or other sweeteners to balance taste. Labels on “diet,” “light,” “zero sugar,” or “no added sugar” products are common places to find it.

References

Footnotes

1. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012: Specifications for food additives (consolidated text; entry for E 960c) — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0231 ↩ ↩²

2. Scientific Opinion on the safety of steviol glycosides for the proposed uses as a food additive — EFSA Journal (European Food Safety Authority). https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/1537 ↩ ↩²

3. High-Intensity Sweeteners — U.S. Food & Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/high-intensity-sweeteners ↩ ↩² ↩³