n the Announcement No. 1 of 2025 of the Health Commission (the former Ministry of Health of China) officially approved stevia polyphenols as a new food raw material, alongside stevia glycosides, as the two “star ingredients” of stevia.
For an extended period, stevia has garnered significant attention due to its abundance of stevia glycosides, a natural sweetener, and its role as a crucial sugar substitute in the food industry. The legalisation of stevia polyphenols has undoubtedly paved the way for the expanded application of stevia. Its antioxidant and multifaceted health benefits anticipate its emergence as a preferred choice in the domains of food and healthcare products, potentially surpassing the popularity of stevia glycosides.
Originating from South America, stevia was introduced to China in the 1970s and has since gained widespread cultivation in Hebei, Gansu, Shandong, and other regions. The sweetness of stevia glycosides in its leaves is approximately 200-300 times greater than sucrose, making it the cornerstone of natural sugar substitutes. However, during the extraction process of stevia glycosides, a “side product” emerged—stevia polyphenols.
Stevia polyphenols constitute 2%-4% of the dried stevia leaves, primarily comprising chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin, and other active ingredients. High-purity products are obtained through extraction technology, resulting in a total polyphenol content exceeding 40%. The polyphenols are derived from stevia leaves through ethanol extraction, filtration, purification, concentration, drying, and other processes.
In 2025, stevia polyphenols officially became a new food raw material in China, ushering in a novel trajectory for the application of stevia in the food sector.
What are plant polyphenols?
Plant polyphenols are secondary metabolites synthesised by plants during their growth. They constitute a diverse class of compounds characterised by the presence of multiple phenolic hydroxyl structures. These compounds are composed of benzene ring structures, each bearing one or more hydroxyl (-OH) groups on each benzene ring, conferring them with robust antioxidant properties and the ability to neutralise free radicals.
Plant polyphenols can be categorised based on their chemical structure, primarily comprising flavonoids, proanthocyanins, hydrolyzed tannins, simple phenolic acids, and other major categories.
Plant polyphenols serve as essential nutrients produced through photosynthesis, playing a multifaceted role within the plant body. These compounds contribute to disease resistance, pigment formation, structural support, and regulation of the growth cycle. Polyphenols are typically stored in various plant parts, including roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and epidermis.
Which foods are rich in polyphenols?
Plant polyphenols constitute a diverse class of natural compounds widely distributed in plants. Their content ranks second only to lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. Over 600 plant species are known to contain higher levels of polyphenols compared to other compounds.
In daily life, foods rich in polyphenols include various fruits (e.g., apple peel, grape peel), vegetables, tea, coffee, seeds, grains, beans, olive oil by-products, cocoa, vanilla, and spices.
Related extracts exhibit remarkable diversity, such as apple polyphenols, pomegranate polyphenols, sour cherry polyphenols, blueberry anthocyanins, grape resveratrol, green tea polyphenols, coffee chlorogenic acid, and dark chocolate cocoa polyphenols, among others.
Which newly approved ingredients are polyphenols?
In addition to stevia polyphenols, numerous new food sources primarily contain polyphenols or polyphenol derivatives.
Sugarcane polyphenols are among the recently approved food ingredients. Sugarcane polyphenols are naturally extracted compounds from sugarcane. The primary constituents include total polyphenols, total flavonoids, and proanthocyanins, which possess substantial biological activity and commercial value.
A recent study demonstrated that this polyphenol exhibits potent inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes in the small intestine. This action effectively retards the degradation of carbohydrates within the digestive tract, thereby reducing the absorption rate of monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose. Consequently, it contributes to sugar control. Primarily, this polyphenol is utilised in the development of low-glycemic index (GI) food products.
Shanghai TPM, a subsidiary of Australian International Ingredients, has recently declared sugarcane polyphenol as a new food raw material. Their product portfolio encompasses Phytolin@phenol® sugarcane polyphenols and Polynol@phenol@sugarcane polyphenol food ingredients.
Milk tea by Hankou Erchang contains phytolin
Phytolin@
Phytolin® has emerged as an innovative raw material in the weight management sector, serving as a sugar substitute and effective sugar control agent.
Catechin
Catechin, a newly approved food raw material in 2023, finds applications in beverages and candies. When consumed in conjunction with gallocate (EGCG) as outlined in Announcement No. 17 of 2010, the recommended daily intake is limited to ≤300 mg (measured in total catechin content).
Catechin constitutes the primary polyphenol in tea, comprising 12% to 24% of the dry weight and 60% to 80% of the total polyphenol content. It is predominantly found in green tea, black tea, and oolong tea varieties.
The catechin family comprises four main types (C): epigallic catechic acid (EGCG), pyglytic catechin (EGC), capechic acid (ECG), and epicatechin (EC).
In Japan, catechin has gained recognition as a functional raw material for weight management, a concept that consumers highly value. This recognition may be attributed to the success of Huawang, a company that introduced Healthia green tea in 2003. Since then, Huawang has sold an impressive 3.1 billion bottles of Healthia green tea over a 21-year period, as of the end of 2024.
Tea polyphenols, also known as polyphenols, are polyphenolic compounds primarily extracted from tea leaves as food ingredients. As a food additive antioxidant, they are permitted in over 60 sub-food categories in GB 2760, including oils and fats, jams, nuts, pastries, meat products, aquatic products, canned foods, seasonings, beverages, and puffed foods.
The permitted addition range is between 0.1g/kg and 0.8g/kg, with varying allowable amounts for different product categories. The quality standard adheres to the national standard “GB 1886.211-2016 Food Safety National Standard Food Additives Tea Polyphenols”.
These polyphenolic ingredients can be utilised in both domestic and international food applications. However, foreign dietary supplements often employ a wider range and more diverse types of polyphenol food ingredients.
Apple polyphenols
Apple polyphenols are primarily derived from apple peels, particularly immature green apples, which are rich in polyphenols. The polyphenol content in immature fruits is approximately 10 times higher than that of ripe fruits. Apple polyphenols encompass a diverse range of phenols, including chlorogenic acid, catechin, epicatechin, apple condensed tannin, root peel, root skin, and anthocyanin.
BGG
BGG is a reputable supplier of apple polyphenol food ingredients. They possess the process of extracting apple polyphenols from immature green apples and have obtained intellectual property protection in China and the United States. Furthermore, BGG has conducted clinical trials investigating the role of apple polyphenols in weight management and has received strong scientific research endorsement. Notably, BGG’s apple polyphenols are marketed in the Korean market, where their jelly bars and oral solutions have gained popularity among consumers.
As a byproduct of the wine and juice industry, grape seeds contain a high polyphenol content, ranging from 60 to 70%. The primary polyphenols include catechins, epicatechins, proanthocyanins, and proanthocyanidins (OPC), which are the core active ingredients. Grape seed polyphenols have garnered significant market recognition and have long been the cornerstone of the oral beauty market. Notably, the 2024 Swisse grape seed niacinamide tablets available on Taobao Online stand out in comparison to similar products.
Lychee polyphenols
In addition to the aforementioned polyphenols, another polyphenol is extracted from lychees. Lychee polyphenols are a specific type of polyphenolic substance derived from lychees. Different parts of lychees, such as the flesh, kernels, and shells, contain a diverse range of polyphenols. The polyphenols found in lychee fruit primarily consist of protocatechic acid, catechins, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, epicatechins, butylic acid, p-coumic acid, rutin, valeric acid, and others.
Numerous products utilise this raw material. For instance, lychee polyphenol vegetarian capsules are designed to provide a dual effect of “fatigue reduction and weight management.” Low molecular weight polyphenols were obtained through low-temperature extraction, resulting in a threefold increase in absorption rate. Trial testing has been conducted to validate the efficacy of this process.
Polyphenol compounds
Concurrently, the application of single polyphenol ingredients has also emerged as an optimistic direction for certain enterprises.
For example, a dietary supplement launched by one such enterprise incorporates pomegranate extract, keratin, turmeric, bitter orange (fruit), green tea (leaf extract), grape extract (skin and seeds), organic blueberry fruit extract, apple extract, wild cherry berry extract (berry), olive extract (fruit), acai berry (fruit), Noli (fruit), alfalfa (whole plant), hawthorn berry powder, and celery extract (seeds).
The product comprises over 10 components, including pomegranate, turmeric, and blueberry, that are rich in plant polyphenols. These polyphenols are amplified through synergy, emphasising plant-based and natural ingredients.
In light of the approval of stevia polyphenols, more polyphenols are anticipated to be considered for inclusion in the list of new food ingredients in the future. Polyphenols, due to their high purity and antioxidant properties, are expected to gain popularity as a raw material in the food and health food industries. They will play a significant role in dietary supplements, beverages, snacks, dairy products, and other sectors.
Peter Peverelli has been actively involved in and with China since 1975 and frequently travels to the most remote regions of that vast nation. He is a co-author of a significant book that delves into the cultural factors driving China’s economic success. Peter has been involved in the Chinese food and beverage industries since 1985.
