Tasteful natural sweetener and flavor

A method for preparing a composition, the composition comprising a reducing sugar based Maillard Reaction Product(s) (MRPs) and a Maillard Reaction Product of a stevia extract (stevia-MRPs), a steviol glycoside(s) (SG-MRPs) and/or a glycosylated steviol glycoside(s) (GSG-MRPs) or mixtures thereof and one or more amine donor(s), wherein the reducing sugar based MRP(s) is formed from one or more reducing sugar(s) having a free carbonyl group and one or more amine donor(s) having a free amino group, comprising the steps:

• preparing a reaction mixture comprising one or more reducing sugar(s), one or more of stevia extract, a steviol glycoside(s) and/or a glycosylated steviol glycoside(s) and one or more amine donor(s) comprising a free amino group(s);
• optionally, combining the reaction mixture with one or more solvents to provide a reaction solution;
• heating the reaction solution under conditions suitable for forming a solution or slurry comprising one or more reducing sugar Maillard Reaction Product(s) (MRPs) and one or more stevia-MRP(s), SG-MRP(s) and/or GSG-MRP(s), wherein optionally, the stevia extract, the steviol glycoside(s) and/or the glycosylated steviol glycoside(s) is added during or after the completion of the conventional Maillard reaction, to form a Millard Reaction mixture composition;
• and
• optionally, isolating the Millard Reaction mixture composition.

A method for improving taste and/or mouthfeel profile of a food or beverage composition, comprising the steps:

• preparing a reaction mixture comprising one or more reducing sugar(s), one or more of a stevia extract, a steviol glycoside(s) and/or a glycosylated steviol glycoside(s) and one or more amine donor(s) comprising a free amino group(s);
• optionally, combining the reaction mixture with one or more solvents to provide a reaction solution;
• heating the reaction solution under conditions suitable for forming a solution or slurry comprising one or more reducing sugar Maillard Reaction Product(s) (MRPs) and Maillard Reaction Product(s) of the stevia extract (stevia-MRPs), the steviol glycoside(s) (SG-MRPs) and/or the glycosylated steviol glycoside(s) (GSG-MRPs), wherein optionally, the stevia extract, the steviol glycoside(s) and/or the glycosylated steviol glycoside(s) is added during or after the completion of the conventional Maillard reaction, to form a Millard Reaction mixture composition;
• optionally, isolating the Millard Reaction mixture composition;
• and
• adding the Millard Reaction mixture composition to a food or beverage composition, wherein the taste and/or mouthfeel profile of the food or beverage is improved.