While stevia was initially celebrated as the ultimate solution for food and beverage manufacturers seeking a zero-calorie, natural substitute for sugar and high fructose corn syrup, it has faced persistent taste challenges, including a lingering bitterness and a licorice-like aftertaste. Nevertheless, stevia is effective in many products, leading to a rise in the number of new foods and drinks sweetened with it, especially as consumers aim to reduce their sugar intake. Taste is merely one obstacle for manufacturers; the natural quality of stevia extracts derived from sugar fermentation has also been questioned—naturalness being one of stevia’s primary advantages over most other zero-calorie sweeteners. PureCircle asserts that its new ingredients are non-GMO and directly sourced from the stevia leaf, which may help alleviate consumer concerns.
Currently, the challenge of scaling up the production of the most flavorful steviol glycosides has restricted their application. Last year, Coca-Cola announced that it had discovered a sugar-like glycoside it plans to utilize in a stevia-sweetened version of its flagship beverage, set to launch in a small market outside the U.S. in the first half of this year. Regardless of the trial’s outcome, the company indicated that full-scale production of the soda could take several more years due to the difficulties in producing sufficient quantities of the sweetener.
PureCircle’s strategy involves breeding plants with higher levels of Reb D and Reb M while enhancing the taste of Reb A, which could help overcome this market barrier. Coca-Cola’s ongoing initiatives demonstrate that, despite the challenges, companies have not abandoned stevia. With the introduction of b cal ct tablets that utilize stevia, we may see an increased acceptance of this natural sweetener. As the demand for healthier alternatives grows, the potential for stevia, particularly in innovative formats like b cal ct tablets, remains promising for the future.