Natural sweeteners: a plain guide
Stevia, xylitol, erythritol, coconut sugar, yacon syrup and monk fruit: what each one is, where it comes from, how it behaves in the kitchen and how it appears on an Australian label.
At a glance
| Sweetener | Type | Additive number | Browns in baking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stevia | Plant extract (intense sweetener) | 960 | No |
| Xylitol | Sugar alcohol (polyol) | 967 | No |
| Erythritol | Sugar alcohol (polyol) | 968 | No |
| Coconut sugar | Sugar from coconut palm sap | — (an ingredient) | Yes, like brown sugar |
| Yacon syrup | Syrup from yacon roots | — (an ingredient) | Not confirmed |
| Monk fruit | Fruit extract (intense sweetener) | None; listed by name | No bulk; usually blended |
The sweeteners
Stevia (steviol glycosides)
- Comes from
- Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni), a herb in the chrysanthemum family (Asteraceae).
- What it is
- Steviol glycosides are sweet compounds found in the leaves of the stevia plant. The leaves contain several different steviol glycosides, and stevioside and rebaudioside A are the main ones. To make the sweetener, they are extracted from the leaves with hot water and then purified.
- Taste
- FSANZ's assessment says the taste depends on which glycoside is dominant. Extracts that are mostly stevioside are described as having a 'metallic' or 'liquorice' aftertaste. Extracts that are mostly rebaudioside A are described as having less aftertaste. FSANZ's 2007 assessment states steviol glycosides are 250-300 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar), so only a very small amount is needed.
- In cooking
- Kansas State University Extension describes stevia as highly stable and usable in cooking and baking. Stevia supplies sweetness but not the bulk of sugar, so expect lower volume and less browning when it replaces sugar in baking. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension notes that stevia sweeteners do not caramelise and are not suitable for meringues. Many retail stevia products are blended with erythritol, which adds bulk.
- At Mega Health
- Liquid drops (plain and 26 flavours), pure extract powder, tablets, and Stevia Slim sticks and spoonable blends with erythritol
- In Australia
- Permitted food additive (intense sweetener) in Australia and New Zealand. It appears in Food Standards Code Schedule 8 as 'Steviol glycosides', code number 960 (compilation of 16 Sep 2025). FSANZ assessed steviol glycosides as intense sweeteners under Application A540.
Sources: www.legislation.gov.au, mta-sts.foodstandards.gov.au, bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu, dinnertonight.tamu.edu
Xylitol
- Comes from
- Occurs naturally in small amounts in some fruits and vegetables (e.g. strawberry, banana, cauliflower, spinach, carrot) and in hardwoods such as birch and beech. Commercial xylitol is made from xylose taken from plant fibre (lignocellulosic biomass).
- What it is
- A sugar alcohol (polyol). It is made industrially by chemical hydrogenation: plant biomass is broken down to release xylose, and the purified xylose is hydrogenated over a catalyst, then purified and crystallised into xylitol.
- Taste
- Its sweetness is described as almost equal to sucrose (Umai et al. 2022, Frontiers in Sustainability). Like all polyols it dissolves with a cooling sensation (negative heat of solution). Xylitol has the strongest cooling effect of the polyols and is often used to enhance mint flavours.
- In cooking
- Polyols do not take part in the Maillard reaction, so xylitol does not brown the way sugar does. Polyols are described as very heat-stable across a pH range of 2 to 10. Xylitol is highly soluble.
- At Mega Health
- Granules in bags and refillable shakers, and single-serve sticks, in standard and certified organic
- In Australia
- Permitted food additive in Australia and New Zealand. It appears in Food Standards Code Schedule 8 as 'Xylitol', code number 967 (compilation of 16 Sep 2025).
Keep xylitol away from dogs. Xylitol is toxic to dogs. In dogs it causes a rapid, dose-dependent release of insulin that can lead to severe hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), and some dogs have developed severe liver injury. Exposure often comes from sugar-free products such as chewing gum, lollies, mints, peanut butter and baked goods, and from some toothpastes, medicines and supplements. Keep xylitol and xylitol-sweetened foods away from dogs and contact a vet immediately if a dog eats any. Dogs are the only domestic species in which xylitol toxicosis has been reported.
Sources: www.frontiersin.org, talcottlab.tamu.edu, www.legislation.gov.au, legislation.gov.au, www.msdvetmanual.com
Erythritol
- Comes from
- Made from starch, such as wheat or corn starch, by fermentation.
- What it is
- A sugar alcohol (polyol). According to the FAO/JECFA specification monograph, starch is first broken down with enzymes. The resulting sugars are fermented by food-grade osmophilic yeasts, and the erythritol is then purified, crystallised, washed and dried into heat-stable crystals.
- Taste
- FAO/JECFA describes its sweetness as approximately 60-80% that of sucrose. Like other polyols it has a cooling effect when dissolved; the effect is described as moderate, in the same group as sorbitol and mannitol and weaker than xylitol.
- In cooking
- Polyols do not take part in the Maillard reaction, so erythritol does not brown like sugar. Erythritol is heat-stable. It is less soluble than xylitol, and less soluble polyols tend to crystallise more readily. It is often blended with stevia or monk fruit in retail sweeteners to provide bulk.
- At Mega Health
- Granules and single-serve sticks, in standard and certified organic
- In Australia
- Permitted food additive in Australia and New Zealand. It appears in Food Standards Code Schedule 8 as 'Erythritol', code number 968 (compilation of 16 Sep 2025).
Sources: www.fao.org, talcottlab.tamu.edu, www.legislation.gov.au, legislation.gov.au
Coconut sugar (coconut palm sugar)
- Comes from
- The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). Sap is tapped from the unopened flower clusters (immature inflorescences).
- What it is
- A sugar made by boiling down coconut sap. The flower stalk is cut and the sap is collected over many hours. Traditionally the sap is then heated in an open pan (about 100-120 °C for 3-5 hours) until it concentrates and crystallises. Sucrose is the main sugar in the sap.
- Taste
- Texture and flavour are described as similar to brown sugar, with a caramel-like aroma when melted into recipes. It is golden to brown in colour, and higher processing temperatures make it darker through Maillard browning.
- In cooking
- Because it is a sugar, mostly sucrose, it behaves broadly like brown sugar in cooking: it browns and caramelises and provides bulk. Its colour and flavour will darken light-coloured bakes.
- At Mega Health
- Certified organic granulated coconut sugar in 200g, 500g and 1kg bags
- In Australia
- Sold as a sugar/food ingredient, not as a food additive. It has no food additive code number. No coconut-sugar-specific provision was identified in the Food Standards Code during this research.
Coconut sugar at Mega Health →
Sources: agrifoodscience.com, bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu
Yacon syrup
- Comes from
- Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius), a perennial plant native to the Andes in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). It is grown for its tuberous roots, which look like sweet potatoes.
- What it is
- A sweet syrup made from yacon roots. The roots' carbohydrates are mostly fructooligosaccharides (FOS, inulin-type fructans), together with fructose, glucose and sucrose. Unrefined yacon syrup is described as having a honey-like consistency. A New Zealand-grown yacon concentrate has been studied at Auckland University of Technology (Chessum et al. 2022).
- In cooking
- How yacon syrup behaves in cooking has not been confirmed in a reliable source. Use it as you would another liquid syrup and follow the directions on the jar.
- At Mega Health
- Certified organic yacon syrup, 250g
- In Australia
- Not a food additive and not listed in Food Standards Code Schedule 8. No entry for yacon was found in FSANZ's novel food Record of Views (July 2026 version) in this research, so its novel-food status is not confirmed (see unverified).
Sources: www.agriculturejournals.cz, openrepository.aut.ac.nz, www.foodstandards.gov.au
Monk fruit (luo han guo)
- Comes from
- The fruit of Siraitia grosvenorii, a perennial vine native to southern China.
- What it is
- Monk fruit extract concentrates the fruit's sweet compounds, called mogrosides; mogroside V is the main one. It is made by a multi-stage solid-liquid extraction (historically water and ethanol). Mogroside V typically makes up 30-40% of commercial extracts, and some preparations reach up to 90%.
- Taste
- FSANZ reports pure mogroside V as 250-400 times as sweet as sucrose. Commercial extracts are less sweet, up to about 200 times sucrose depending on mogroside V content. FSANZ notes a relative lack of bitter taste compared with saccharin and acesulfame K.
- In cooking
- FSANZ's assessment notes that its sweet components are not significantly affected by heat treatment at 120 °C. As an intense sweetener it provides no bulk, which is why it is usually blended with erythritol.
- In Australia
- Permitted as a food additive (intense sweetener) after FSANZ Application A1129 (assessment dated 13 Nov 2018). Food Standards Code Schedule 8 lists 'Monk fruit extract or luo han guo extract' with no code number, so labels show it by name. Separately, FSANZ's Advisory Committee on Novel Foods considered luo han guo fruit juice in 2013 and regarded it as a traditional, non-novel food; that view covers the juice only, not mogroside-concentrated extracts.
Sources: www.foodstandards.gov.au, www.legislation.gov.au, www.foodstandards.gov.au
Swapping sugar in recipes
Sugar does more in a recipe than sweeten: it helps browning (caramelisation and the Maillard reaction), adds volume, keeps baked goods tender and moist, and feeds yeast. Intense sweeteners such as stevia and monk fruit replace the sweetness but not the bulk, so expect lower volume and less browning. Some sweeteners can be measured cup-for-cup like sugar, while sweeter ones need much less. Check the conversion on each sweetener's package. Results may differ from the sugar version; one option is to replace only half the sugar to start. Products made for baking often include bulking ingredients. Coconut sugar is itself a sugar and behaves much like brown sugar, though it darkens and flavours the result.
Sources: bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu, dinnertonight.tamu.edu
Reading the label
In Australia, most food additives in an ingredient list must be shown by their class name followed by either the additive's name or its number, which comes from an internationally accepted numbering system (FSANZ's example: 'Colour (Caramel I)' or 'Colour (150a)'). For sweeteners, look for the names or numbers in Food Standards Code Schedule 8: steviol glycosides 960, xylitol 967, erythritol 968. Monk fruit extract has no number, so it appears by name as 'monk fruit extract' or 'luo han guo extract'. Coconut sugar and yacon syrup are ingredients, not additives, so they appear by name.
Sources: foodstandards.gov.au, www.legislation.gov.au
Why some packs carry a laxative statement
Food Standards Code Standard 1.2.3, section 1.2.3—2(2), requires an advisory statement to the effect that excess consumption may have a laxative effect when a food contains: (a) lactitol, maltitol, maltitol syrup, mannitol or xylitol, alone or in combination, at 10 g/100 g or more; (b) erythritol, isomalt, polydextrose or sorbitol, alone or in combination, at 25 g/100 g or more; or (c) one or more substances from (a) combined with one or more from (b) at 10 g/100 g or more. The Code requires a statement 'to the effect that'; it does not prescribe exact wording.
Sources: legislation.gov.au
All natural sweeteners at Mega Health →
About this guide
This page describes foods and food ingredients. It makes no claims about health effects. In Australia, sweeteners used as food additives are regulated by Food Standards Australia New Zealand through the Food Standards Code, and the label on each product is the place to find what it contains and how to use it.