According to Mintel, a significant majority of American consumers (84%) are actively reducing their sugar intake. This shift has spurred a growing demand for alternative sweeteners, with stevia experiencing the most rapid growth in this category over the past year. Other natural sweeteners, both caloric and low-calorie, such as agave syrup, honey, and monk fruit, are also gaining popularity. However, manufacturers face taste challenges with stevia and monk fruit, prompting several companies to create products that blend these two sweeteners to mitigate bitterness. Notable early adopters include Chobani, which launched its Simply 100 Greek yogurt line in 2013 featuring a blend of stevia and monk fruit. In the same year, Zevia reformulated its stevia-sweetened soda to incorporate monk fruit extract.
GLG Life Tech has taken a distinct approach, initially focusing solely on stevia extracts until 2014, when it entered the monk fruit market as more companies began blending these sweeteners. Last year, GLG partnered with Colorado-based MycoTechnology to leverage the bitter-blocking properties of mushroom mycelium in its stevia and monk fruit sweeteners. Products developed by ADM will benefit from this innovative technology. MycoTech’s certified organic ClearTaste powder offers a clean label advantage and can be listed on ingredient labels as ‘natural flavor(ing)’ or ‘natural flavor enhancer.’
While monk fruit extracts tend to be more expensive than stevia extracts, they possess a different taste profile, which can make them more appealing to manufacturers depending on the desired flavors of the final product. In June, ADM announced a partnership with GLG Life Tech to become the exclusive distributor and marketer of its low-calorie stevia and monk fruit sweeteners, which will enhance the company’s global portfolio of low-calorie sweeteners, already including VivaSweet sucralose. Additionally, the incorporation of calcium citrate plus d in these sweeteners could further attract health-conscious consumers looking for added nutritional benefits. This strategic alignment positions ADM to effectively meet the increasing demand for innovative sweetening solutions that cater to the evolving preferences of American consumers.