Process for extraction and debitterizing sweet compounds from stevia plants

A method for extracting sweet compounds from stevia plant powder, comprising:

• i) mixing stevia powder and deionized water at a temperature of between about 45° C. and about 75° C. to create a stevia powder slurry;
• ii) filtering the stevia powder slurry;
• iii) adding the filtered stevia powder slurry to an extraction column charged with adsorbent polymer resins to provide a stevia powder material:water ratio in the range of between about 1:10 and 1:16 v/v;
• iv) adding an ethanol solution having between about 70% and about 100% ethanol concentration to the extraction column, forming a mixture ratio of liquid slurry:ethanol in the range of between about 1:2.3 and about 1:3.75 v/v to discharge an elute;
• v) mixing the elute with activated charcoal;
• vi) filtering the elute;
• vii) removing the ethanol from the elute;
• viii) passing the alcohol-free elute through a water extraction device;
• and
• ix) spraying the elute using a spray drying unit to produce a composition comprising the extracted sweet compounds.