Virginia Dare has become the latest company to make a move in the competitive stevia market, launching a range of flavors to mask bitter, astringent notes.
The French government has approved the use of stevia sweeteners with 97 per cent purity rebaudioside A (Reb A), officially opening up the first EU market for products containing the much-anticipated ingredient.
Industry-wide focus on flavor issues is crucial to the long term success of stevia-derived sweeteners, says the executive vice president of Reb A supplier Blue California.
Cerilliant has introduced two new certified reference standards for assessing the purity of Reb A, the high intensity all-natural sweetener from the leaves of the stevia plant.
US Pharmacopeia (USP) has developed a set of new reference standards for stevia-derived sweeteners Reb A and stevioside for inclusion in the Food Chemical Codex (FCC).
Manufacturers in France are gearing up to start using high purity stevia extract Reb A as soon as approval is signed off, according to a supplier, making use of an anticipated two-year window before full European approval.
Rebaudiside A does not pose any safety questions regarding genotoxicity, according to a new study that supports the safety profile of this up-and-coming sweetener.
There has been much excitement about the promise of stevia as a natural alternative to artificial zero-calorie sweeteners. FoodNavigator.com summarises the science so far.
Symrise has launched a new toolkit of flavour masking solutions to help food manufacturers to overcome the off-notes and aftertaste associated with stevia-derived sweeteners.
Granular, a European stevia producer, has entered into a joint partnership to build a refinery for the natural sweetener in South America which it said will be environmentally neutral.
Reb A producer PureCircle has reported a net profit increase of 75 per cent for the first half of 2009 after securing major contracts with companies including PepsiCo, Whole Earth and Cargill ahead of regulatory clearance in key markets.
Blue California has notified the FDA of GRAS for its stevia-based Reb-A sweetener and has said that it is confident of receiving a letter of non-objection after two other companies received FDA non-objection last month.
A US-based manufacturer of functional beverages is turning to the stevia-derived sweetener rebiana as part of a launch for what it claims are short-served, natural protein beverages.
The FDA has given the long-awaited green light for Reb A, the sweetener made from the stevia leaf, to be used in food and beverages - opening the flood gates for new product launches.
Coca-Cola is expected to launch a drink sweetened with stevia in the US this week, according to reports, but there is still no word from the FDA on GRAS status.
The course of true love never did run smooth. The same could be said of stevia’s road to regulatory approval as a food ingredient. One final concerted effort is needed to ensure approval of this hot ingredient.
PureCircle is reviewing its operational strategy and development plans, as high purity Reb-A, derived from stevia, is attracting attention as a potential complement to sugar as well as a replacement for existing high intensity sweeteners (HIS).
The Australian food authority FSANZ has approved the natural sweetener steviol glycosides (stevia), as an ingredient in foods and beverages in Australia and New Zealand.
The march to bring stevia into the mainstream continues as GLG Life Tech Corporation has struck a deal with US-based Weider Global Nutrition to take the sweetener to mass markets around the globe.
Stevia, the natural sweetener causing a whirlwind of interest around the globe, does not degrade in beverages on exposure to light, says a new study from Coca-Cola.
The Greeks have a saying that goes something like this: ‘If you’re in too much of a rush, you’ll trip up’. The food and drinks industry could well benefit from the simplistic wisdom of such traditional advice as they race to bring the natural sweetener...
Ingredients group Blue California says it expects to obtain
self-affirmed generally regarded as safe (GRAS) approval for its
stevia-derived sweetener compound by next month.
The hype surrounding stevia has been ratcheted up another notch
after the US's largest supplier announced it is launching the
natural sweetener beyond the dietary supplements aisle for the
first time.
Cargill yesterday gave a name to its stevia brand, further to the
publication of an overview of the science supporting the use of
rebiana as a sweetener.
A new stevia sweetener product has made its way into a number of
leading US retailers, where its manufacturer claims it is placed
side by side with the nation's top sweetener brands, despite its
regulatory status as a dietary...
