A new patent application that covers the efficient and sustainable production of sweeteners including Rebaudioside M (Reb M) using fermentation technology has been published by Evolva and Cargill.
A formula using stevia leaves and peppermint gives a fully natural-sweetened chocolate that has a similar taste and mouthfeel to a sugar counterpart but with 44% fewer calories, according to research.
Wrigley has introduced Extra Professional Mints containing stevia rebaudiana across Europe, marking the first time it has used stevia in a product globally.
Mars UK says it has exhausted reformulation options for Mars and Snickers bars and has been left with no choice but to cut portion sizes to meet calorie reduction pledges.
Special Edition - Beyond sugar: Hitting the sweet spot
The pace of progress on the joint development program of Cargill and Evolva to produce fermentation-based steviol glycosides is ‘exceeding expectations’ with the resulting ingredients potentially hitting the market earlier than expected.
Sugar reduction – rather than substitution – is an area that fits well with consumer concerns about sugar, and big brand moves in the area could spur action from smaller players, according to Mintel.
The maker of a new sugar free cookie sweetened with monk fruit extract claims its product is set for big things in markets with high diabetes rates such as Australia and Saudi Arabia.
When stevia sealed EU novel foods approval in December 2011 it was heralded as the holy grail of sweeteners, but has it lived up to all the hype for chocolate?
Stevia’s credentials as a plant-derived sweetener and uptake from large manufacturers will prevent it from being seen as just another E-number, according to market research organisation Euromonitor.
Regulatory restrictions and lessons learned from other markets are shaping the way food manufacturers are using stevia-derived sweeteners in Europe, according to supplier PureCircle.
It is three times more expensive to produce stevia chocolate than a sugar counterpart as fiber blends required to give the chocolate structure drive up costs, according to the CEO of Cavalier.
The number of new products sweetened with stevia extracts in the EU shows a “significant uplift” on last year according to David Jago, Mintel director of innovation and insight.
Larger pack sizes, products with nuts and spicy and exotic fruit flavours are featuring heavily in new product development in the confectionery sector, according to Leatherhead Food Research.
Mint confectionery products containing the sweetener stevia could appeal to EU consumers, but each country has its own preference, according to a consultant to Cargill
In-depth understanding of how stevia works with different flavour systems, bulking agents, and other ingredients is required to optimise NPD or reformulation of existing food and drinks using the natural sweetener.
Coca-Cola said it has no reason to drop the artificial sweetener aspartame from its low or zero calorie beverage brands in the European market as it welcomes last week’s approval by the European Commission for the use of the natural sweetener stevia in...
Post-market monitoring of stevia use levels in food and drink products could see the European Commission broaden the current authorised food categories, claims a stevia trade body.
Stevia supplier PureCircle has introduced a new stevia-derived sweetener, which it claims has fewer of the taste problems previously associated with stevia, allowing deeper calorie reductions in a wide range of products.
Belgian chocolate firm Cavalier has confirmed that it is planning to launch the UK's first chocolate range containing stevia from January next year, while other launches across the EU will also follow initial listings in Belgium from November.
Research conducted by stevia partners Cargill and Associated British Foods subsidiary Silver Spoon has found UK consumers are keen for natural alternatives to artificial low-calorie sweeteners.
November 2011 should see steviol glycosides get regulatory backing for use in food in drink products in the European market, according to a European Commission (EC) representative.
Leading pod-to-pallet chocolate supplier, Barry Callebaut, is targeting manufacturers in the Americas with a stevia-based dark chocolate for use in multiple applications, including moulding, enrobing and inclusions.
Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has partnered with International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) to extract and supply Rebaudioside C (Reb C) for use by IFF as a flavor modulator, the company said.
A new joint venture for stevia between a French sugar producer, a flavour firm, and an ingredients supplier will offer manufacturers ‘leaf to spoon’ service for the sweetener.
Imperial Sugar Company returned to profit during fiscal 2010 as its Port Wentworth refinery continued to boost production following a 2008 explosion, although its losses widened in Q4, the company said.
It started with beverages, but with intense work being carried out by the food industry on other applications for stevia sweeteners novel products are coming to market in the US, and in other global markets with regulatory approval - from yoghurts, to...
Redpoint Bio and International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) have achieved FEMA GRAS status for their Reb C sweetness enhancer, allowing it to be used in a variety of applications in the United States and elsewhere.
A stevia-based chocolate incorporating a blend of dietary fibres has been developed by Barry Callebaut for Belgian confectioner Cavalier for a tablet product to be launched next month.
PureCircle has launched a joint venture with the sugar company Tereos to provide sugar/stevia blends to the European market and gain a stronger international presence through Tereos’ Brazilian facilities.
Major stevia player PureCircle has won a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) letter of no objection from the Food and Drug Administration for a blend it is aiming at products seeking partial sugar and calorie reduction.
Redpoint Bio has signed a 5 year exclusive license with IFF for the further development and commercialisation of its Reb C sweetness enhancer, which could enable the development of lower calorie foods for children.
Blends of stevia rebaudiana extract with inulin and polydextrose as bulking agents can produce sucrose free chocolate with little differential noted between it and sucrose sweetened milk chocolate in terms of sensory attributes, finds an Australian study.
Blue California, manufacturer of the Good & Sweet-brand Reb A stevia extract, has developed a natural fermentation process that it will be using to extract the sweetener by next March, the company has said.
Sugar consumption is an escalating concern among Australian and UK consumers, and sweeteners with natural credentials are benefiting from this trend, according to a new report from independent business analyst Datamonitor.
Beverages formulated with stevia are preferred by consumers over similar products sweetened with sugar or other common high intensity sweeteners, says new research from Croatia.
Stevia suppliers have welcomed EFSA’s positive scientific opinion on the safety of stevia-derived sweeteners, saying it paves the way for generating more consumer interest in the natural sweetener.
EU approval for natural sweeteners from the stevia leaf has moved one step closer after scientists at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) gave them a clean bill of health.
PureCircle and Imperial Sugar have launched a joint venture to offer sugar and stevia combinations to the food and beverage industry as it looks to meet consumer demand for natural lower calorie products.
The French government has approved the use of stevia sweetener Reb A in table top sweeteners, and raised the levels at which it can be used in a range of no added sugar food and beverage products.
Redpoint Bio has revealed that is RP44 sweetness enhancer is in fact Reb-C, a component of stevia and a side stream of Reb-A production. It could be used in conjunction with Reb-A and sugar to lower calorie levels further than previously possible.
