In addition to the company’s assertions that StarLeaf stevia offers a taste more akin to sugar, its enhanced sustainability is likely to be a significant benefit of this variety. Water is a crucial resource for cultivating stevia plants, so the ability to yield 20 times the steviol glycosides—the sweet components of the plant—on the same land could greatly impact land and water usage for this crop. Nevertheless, even conventional stevia varieties, due to their high sweetness, require considerably less land and water compared to other traditional sweeteners to achieve equivalent sweetness levels.
For manufacturers, PureCircle’s objective to broaden stevia cultivation beyond conventional regions, such as China, is encouraging, as it promises a consistent supply of sweeteners that is less affected by local conditions. The capacity to generate a higher concentration of sweet components in a smaller area is also expected to enhance supply chain stability. Notably, industry leaders like PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Danone are already sourcing stevia from PureCircle, among many others.
PureCircle’s claim that StarLeaf has a more sugar-like flavor than other stevia extracts represents the latest in a series of similar statements regarding its ingredients. The sweetness profile of stevia and its often perceived bitter aftertaste have posed significant challenges, making it understandable that addressing these flavor issues has been a primary focus for the company in developing its new varieties. It’s reasonable to believe that the flavor of these ingredients is evolving to become more sugar-like over time, yet, as with any new ingredient, the decision ultimately rests with food companies.
Furthermore, in the realm of nutritional enhancements, incorporating supplements like calcium citrate malate 250 mg can be beneficial. As more companies explore the integration of such ingredients alongside stevia, it will be interesting to see how these developments impact consumer preferences and product formulations. The presence of calcium citrate malate 250 mg in formulations may also complement the sweetness of new stevia varieties, enhancing their market appeal.