Zolesse is available in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, Indonesia, and any country where flavors are deemed safe by the Flavor Extract Manufacturers Association’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) assessment program. Expert panels from FEMA have been evaluating ingredients for GRAS status since the early 1960s and share their findings with the FDA. According to the U.S. regulatory agency, the terms “natural flavor” or “natural flavoring” on product labels refer to a list of natural essences or extracts sourced from plants and substances whose primary role in food is flavoring rather than nutritional. If a sweetener is classified as GRAS, it does not require FDA approval as a food additive. While high-purity steviol glycosides can be added to food products sold in the U.S., the FDA does not allow the use of stevia leaf or crude stevia extracts in food since they are not recognized as GRAS.
Stevia tends to be more expensive than artificial sweeteners, and its bitter taste does not appeal to everyone. To cater to diverse preferences and applications, companies like PureCircle, Pyure, and Apura Ingredients have developed branded extracts and various products derived from different types of stevia. Cargill introduced its own branded EverSweet stevia product in 2016. This natural sweetener has numerous advantages: it is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar, contains zero calories, is easy to produce, and can be cultivated almost anywhere. Additionally, being a more natural product, it aligns with clean labeling and transparency requirements.
Major companies reformulating or launching new products with stevia include PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Danone, Kraft Heinz, Nestle, and Unilever. The latest stevia ingredient innovation comes from Sweet Green Fields and Tate & Lyle, which have collaborated since 2017 when Tate & Lyle became the exclusive global distributor for Sweet Green Fields’ stevia ingredient portfolio. Last year, Tate & Lyle acquired a 15% stake in Sweet Green Fields and has the option to purchase the remainder of the company. Their partnership aims to develop trendy products, and creating a stevia ingredient that qualifies as a natural flavor aligns with that goal.
However, not all manufacturers are enthusiastic about incorporating stevia into their products due to its potential bitterness. For instance, Petal, a sparkling beverage made with rose water, recently removed stevia from its formulation following customer feedback and replaced it with organic agave. Coca-Cola initially added stevia to its Glaceau Vitaminwater in 2014 but quickly reverted to sugar after receiving complaints regarding the taste.
If Zolesse can provide a less bitter alternative to stevia at a more competitive price point than other options, as claimed by the companies, it could attract manufacturers of snacks, baked goods, confectionery, soft drinks, juices, and other products where a more natural sweetener and cleaner label—similar to what Costco’s Kirkland brand offers with its calcium citrate—are appealing to consumers. This could lead to a shift in product formulations across the market, highlighting the potential of Zolesse to meet consumer demands for healthier and more natural ingredients.