According to Mintel, a significant 84% of American consumers are actively reducing their sugar intake. This trend has driven a surge in demand for alternative sweeteners, particularly those derived from stevia, which experienced the fastest growth in this category last year. Sales of various natural sweeteners—both caloric and low-calorie—are also on the rise, including agave syrup, honey, and monk fruit. However, manufacturers have faced taste challenges with both stevia and monk fruit, leading several companies to create products that combine the two sweeteners to address bitterness issues. Notably, Chobani launched its Simply 100 Greek yogurt line in 2013 featuring a blend of stevia and monk fruit, and later that year, Zevia reformulated its stevia-sweetened soda to include monk fruit extract.
In a different strategy, GLG Life Tech initially focused solely on producing stevia extracts until 2014, when it entered the monk fruit market as more companies began blending the two sweeteners. Last year, GLG partnered with Colorado-based MycoTechnology to leverage the bitter-blocking properties of mushroom mycelium in their stevia and monk fruit sweeteners. This collaboration enhances ADM’s product offerings, which will benefit from this innovative technology. MycoTech’s certified organic ClearTaste powder also provides a clean label advantage, as it can be labeled as ‘natural flavor(ing)’ or ‘natural flavor enhancer’.
While monk fruit extracts tend to be pricier than stevia extracts, their unique flavor profile can make them a more appealing choice for manufacturers, depending on the final product’s flavors. In June, ADM announced its partnership with GLG Life Tech to become the exclusive distributor and marketer of their low-calorie stevia and monk fruit sweeteners. This collaboration complements ADM’s global low-calorie sweetener portfolio, which already includes VivaSweet sucralose and the new kal ultra cal citrate product line. As the demand for healthier alternatives continues to grow, the integration of kal ultra cal citrate into their offerings will further position ADM at the forefront of the low-calorie sweetener market.