The use of stevia is on the rise across a variety of products due to its intense sweetness and easy availability. Companies like Pyure and Apura Ingredients, which offer a range of sweetening options, have quickly introduced various stevia-based products as consumer preferences shift away from sugar. An increasing number of food manufacturers are incorporating stevia to lower sugar content in their offerings without sacrificing taste or mouthfeel. Stevia is naturally 30 to 40 times sweeter than sugar and contains zero calories, allowing brands to use significantly less of the ingredient. Additionally, stevia is relatively easy to cultivate, thriving in many environments. Unlike artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, stevia is completely natural, aligning with consumers’ demand for clean labels.
According to Food Business News, Apura reported that many attendees at this year’s Institute of Food Technologists expo showed interest in the steviol glycosides Reb D and Reb M, which are perceived as tastier alternatives to the more common Reb A. However, there are commercial challenges due to the low concentrations of Reb D and Reb M in the stevia leaf. “Reb D has attracted considerable attention in the tabletop industry because of its sweetness profile, which is less bitter and has a milder aftertaste compared to Reb A,” stated Apura. “Reb M, often regarded as the best-tasting rebaudioside, is particularly suitable for beverages. Future trends will likely favor blends of rebaudiosides tailored for specific food or beverage applications, emphasizing taste and cost efficiency.”
Companies are exploring effective methods to isolate and extract the more palatable Reb D and Reb M on a commercial scale. Various strategies include breeding plants that yield higher levels of these glycosides, developing new extraction methods, utilizing genetically engineered microbes to convert sugar into glycosides, and applying enzymes to transfer glucose molecules from starches to steviol glycosides extracted from leaves. PepsiCo is working to patent a novel stevia production process that uses an enzymatic method to produce Reb M, achieving higher purity at a reduced cost. Alongside PepsiCo, an expanding list of food companies, including Coca-Cola, DanoneWave, Kraft Heinz, Nestlé, and Unilever, are reformulating existing products or launching new ones with stevia.
In the context of health, some consumers might also be wondering about calcium citrate and how much to take. As awareness of clean labels and natural ingredients grows, the combination of stevia and the appropriate intake of supplements like calcium citrate will likely become a focal point for health-conscious consumers. This increasing attention to both stevia and calcium citrate reflects a broader trend towards healthier eating habits.