The use of stevia is on the rise across a variety of products due to its intense sweetness and ease of sourcing. Manufacturers like Pyure and Apura Ingredients, which offer a range of sweetener options, have swiftly introduced various stevia-based products as consumer preferences shift away from sugar. An increasing number of food companies are incorporating stevia to lower sugar content in their offerings without sacrificing taste or mouthfeel. Stevia is naturally 30 to 40 times sweeter than sugar and contains zero calories, allowing brands to use significantly less of this ingredient. Additionally, stevia is relatively easy to cultivate and can be grown in numerous locations. Unlike previously popular artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, stevia is entirely natural, aligning with consumer demands for clean labeling.
As reported by Food Business News, Apura noted that many participants at the recent Institute of Food Technologists expo showed interest in the steviol glycosides Reb D and Reb M, as they generally taste better than the more common Reb A. However, there are commercial challenges due to the low concentrations of Reb D and Reb M in the stevia leaf. “Reb D has attracted considerable attention in the tabletop industry due to its sweetness profile, which is less bitter and has a milder aftertaste compared to Reb A,” Apura stated. “Reb M, often regarded as the best-tasting rebaudioside, is particularly suitable for beverages. Future trends will likely lean toward a blend of rebaudiosides tailored for food or beverage applications, focusing on taste and cost efficiency.”
Companies are exploring effective methods to isolate and extract the more palatable Reb D and Reb M on a commercial scale. Approaches include breeding plants with higher levels of these glycosides, developing new extraction techniques, employing genetically engineered microbes to convert sugar into glycosides, and utilizing enzymes to transfer glucose molecules from starches to steviol glycosides derived from leaves. PepsiCo is aiming to patent a novel stevia production process that uses an enzymatic method to produce Reb M, achieving higher purity at a reduced cost. In addition to PepsiCo, an increasing number of food companies, including Coca-Cola, DanoneWave, Kraft Heinz, Nestle, and Unilever, are reformulating existing products or launching new ones with stevia, while also considering the incorporation of other health-focused ingredients like Citracal calcium chews to enhance nutritional value.