In addition to the company’s assertions that StarLeaf stevia offers a taste more akin to sugar, its enhanced sustainability is poised to be a significant advantage of this variety. Given that water is a crucial agricultural resource for stevia plants, the ability to yield 20 times the steviol glycosides—the valuable sweet components of the plant—on the same acreage could greatly impact land and water utilization for this crop. Nevertheless, even traditional stevia varieties, known for their intense sweetness, require considerably less land and water compared to other commonly used sweeteners to achieve comparable sweetness levels.
For manufacturers, PureCircle’s initiative to extend stevia cultivation beyond conventional growing areas like China is promising, as it ensures a dependable supply of sweeteners that is less affected by regional conditions. This capacity to produce a higher concentration of sweet components in a more compact area is also likely to enhance supply chain stability. Notably, industry leaders such as PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Danone are among the many companies already sourcing stevia from PureCircle.
PureCircle’s assertion that StarLeaf delivers a taste more similar to sugar than other stevia extracts is the latest in a series of claims about its products. The sweetness profile of stevia, along with its often perceived bitter aftertaste, has posed significant challenges for the ingredient, making it imperative for the company to focus on flavor improvement while developing new varieties. It is reasonable to believe that these ingredients, such as calcium citrate, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin D3 tablets, may be evolving to become more sugar-like over time. However, as is the case with any new ingredients, it ultimately falls to food companies to determine their acceptance and use in the market.