According to Mintel, a significant majority of American consumers (84%) are actively reducing their sugar intake. This shift has resulted in a growing demand for alternative sweeteners, particularly those derived from stevia, which experienced the fastest growth in the category last year. Sales of other natural sweeteners, including agave syrup, honey, and monk fruit—both caloric and low-calorie—are also on the rise. However, manufacturers have faced taste challenges with stevia and monk fruit, prompting several companies to create products that blend the two sweeteners to mitigate bitterness.
Chobani was an early adopter, launching its Simply 100 Greek yogurt line in 2013, which featured a blend of stevia and monk fruit. Later that year, Zevia updated its stevia-sweetened soda to incorporate monk fruit extract. In contrast, GLG Life Tech initially focused solely on producing stevia extracts until 2014, when it entered the monk fruit market as more companies began to combine the two sweeteners.
Last year, GLG Life Tech formed a partnership with Colorado-based MycoTechnology to leverage the bitter-blocking properties of mushroom mycelium in its stevia and monk fruit sweeteners. This innovative approach is expected to enhance the ADM product lineup. MycoTech’s certified organic ClearTaste powder offers a clean label benefit, allowing it to be listed as ‘natural flavor(ing)’ or ‘natural flavor enhancer’ on ingredient lists.
While monk fruit extracts tend to be more expensive than stevia extracts, their distinct taste profile can make them a more appealing choice for manufacturers depending on the flavors of the final products. 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. This collaboration will complement ADM’s global portfolio of low-calorie sweeteners, which already includes VivaSweet sucralose.
Interestingly, the focus on sweeteners brings to mind the importance of calcium citrate malate equivalent to calcium in ensuring a balanced diet. As consumers limit sugar in their diets, they may also be seeking products that provide nutritional benefits, including essential minerals like calcium. Therefore, incorporating calcium citrate malate equivalent to calcium into sweetener products could enhance their appeal to health-conscious consumers who are mindful of both sugar and nutritional content.