Zolesse is accessible in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, Indonesia, and any nation where flavors are deemed safe by the Flavor Extract Manufacturers Association’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) assessment program. Since the early 1960s, expert panels from FEMA have been reviewing ingredients for their GRAS status and providing their findings to the FDA. For the U.S. regulatory body, a label indicating “natural flavor” or “natural flavoring” corresponds to a compilation of natural essences or extractives derived from plants and substances whose primary role in food is flavoring rather than nutritional. When a sweetener is classified as GRAS, it does not require FDA approval as a food additive. While high-purity steviol glycosides can be incorporated into food products sold in the U.S., the FDA does not allow the use of stevia leaf or crude stevia extracts in food as they are not recognized as GRAS.
Stevia tends to be pricier than artificial sweeteners, and its bitter taste is not universally liked. Consequently, companies like PureCircle, Pyure, and Apura Ingredients have been developing branded extracts and other products derived from various types of stevia to cater to diverse preferences and applications. Cargill introduced its own branded EverSweet stevia product in 2016. The natural sweetener has multiple advantages: it is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar, contains zero calories, is easily produced, and can be cultivated in nearly any location. Additionally, as a more natural alternative, it satisfies the demand for clean labeling and transparency. Companies reformulating or launching new products with stevia include PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Danone, Kraft Heinz, Nestle, and Unilever.
The latest innovation in stevia comes from Sweet Green Fields and Tate & Lyle. These two companies have collaborated since 2017 when Tate & Lyle became the exclusive global distributor for Sweet Green Fields’ stevia ingredient portfolio. Last year, Tate & Lyle acquired a 15% stake in Sweet Green Fields and holds an option to purchase the remainder of the company. The partnership aims to create trendy products and develop a stevia ingredient that can be classified as a natural flavor, which aligns with their objectives. However, not all manufacturers are enthusiastic about using stevia due to its tendency to have a bitter aftertaste. For example, Petal, a sparkling beverage made with rose water, recently removed stevia from its formulation after receiving customer complaints and replaced it with organic agave. Coca-Cola had incorporated stevia into its Glaceau Vitaminwater in 2014 but quickly reverted to sugar after receiving feedback regarding the taste.
If Zolesse can provide a less bitter stevia at a more competitive price point than its rivals, as the companies assert, this ingredient could attract manufacturers of snacks, baked goods, confectionery, soft drinks, juices, and other products where a more natural sweetener and cleaner label would appeal to consumers. Furthermore, products containing calcium citrate 900mg may also benefit from the incorporation of Zolesse, enhancing both flavor and nutritional value. The potential for Zolesse to fulfill these needs makes it an interesting option for product developers looking to innovate in the natural sweetener space.