PureCircle raises $67.18m for stevia investment

18-Nov-2009 - Sweetener company PureCircle has raised $67.18m through share placing to invest in the development of its natural sweetener products made from stevia leaves.

GLG and Weider row over Sweet Naturals contract

12-Nov-2009 - Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has filed a statement of defense against allegations from Weider Global Nutrition that it had breached conditions of their joint stevia business by setting up its own sales team.

Fructose sweeteners may promote Syndrome X

09-Nov-2009 - ‘Moderate’ consumption of fructose-containing sweeteners may produce ‘modest but significant changes’ that may contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome, says a new rat study.

Senomyx calorie-cutting sucrose enhancer gets FEMA GRAS

27-Oct-2009 - Senomyx has received notification from the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) that its new sucrose enhancing flavor ingredient is GRAS (generally regarded as safe).

PepsiCo launches stevia drink under natural health product rules

15-Oct-2009 - PepsiCo’s Aquafina Plus Vitamins 10 Cal has become the first mainstream stevia-sweetened beverage to be launched on the Canadian market by using natural health product rules, the company said.

New ad campaign to tackle ‘viral urban myths’ about HFCS

01-Oct-2009 - The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) has launched a new advertising campaign in an effort to dispel consumer misconceptions about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

Sugar and stevia industries unite

30-Sep-2009 - The sugar industry has engaged with stevia supplier PureCircle at the World Sugar Trade Conference in Singapore this week in order to explore ways in which sugar and stevia can work together.

Finding the perfect stevia blend – natural or not

22-Sep-2009 - The first stevia-sweetened products have begun to emerge, but until the sweetener blend is perfected, they could potentially harm consumers’ interest in stevia, said a senior analyst at Mintel.

Sweetening the perception of HFCS

18-Sep-2009 - The Corn Refiners Association has said it is very pleased that Dr Barry Popkin has revoked an earlier theory about high fructose corn syrup’s link to obesity – but how much can industry do to mend its reputation?

Cost still an issue for Reb A, claims Rabobank

08-Sep-2009 - Cost issues remain for stevia-derived sweetener Reb A although annual sales are likely to reach $700m over the next five years, according to a new report on the US stevia market from Rabobank.

US and Mexico sweetener dispute yields $58m for HFCS damages

19-Aug-2009 - Corn Products International’s Mexican affiliate CP Ingredientes has been awarded $58.386m in damages by a NAFTA tribunal after Mexico placed discriminatory taxes on high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

Consumer case reopened against Snapple’s ‘all-natural’ labels

14-Aug-2009 - A US Court of Appeals in Philadelphia has reopened a consumer-fraud case against Dr Pepper Snapple alleging that Snapple’s ‘all-natural’ label claim is misleading as the drink contains an artificial sweetener.

BASF partners with Brazilian researchers for higher yield sugarcane

05-Aug-2009 - BASF has entered into partnership with a Brazilian research centre to develop genetically modified sugarcane with higher yields and greater tolerance to drought.

Stevia market needs flavor focus, says Blue California chief

04-Aug-2009 - Industry-wide focus on flavor issues is crucial to the long term success of stevia-derived sweeteners, says the executive vice president of Reb A supplier Blue California.

Stevia: The holy grail of sweeteners?

27-Jul-2009 - The FDA’s non-objection in December that the stevia-derived sweetener Reb A was generally recognized as safe (GRAS) was greeted with much fanfare – but how has it been received so far by industry and consumers?

The ‘unstoppable’ weight management trend

06-Jul-2009 - With over 300m obese adults worldwide, it is no wonder that the food industry is keen to offer tasty possibilities to consumers looking to lose weight, and keep it off. The trend is now becoming 'unstoppable', say industry executives.

Honey flavors to cut reliance on uncertain honey market

06-Jul-2009 - Bell Flavors and Fragrances has developed a range of honey replacers to respond to uncertainties on the global honey market as colony collapse disorder (CCD) has diminished bee colonies around the world.

Cerilliant releases new Reb A reference standards

02-Jul-2009 - Cerilliant has introduced two new certified reference standards for assessing the purity of Reb A, the high intensity all-natural sweetener from the leaves of the stevia plant.

Focus on sweeteners among Mintel taste test winners

01-Jul-2009 - Sweeteners old and new were in the spotlight as Mintel announced the products that won its taste test from last month’s IFT trade show in Anaheim.

Sweetness perception could vary with ethnicity: Study

26-Jun-2009 - Researchers claim to have discovered a particular gene variant that could affect sweetness perception among different ethnic groups, raising the possibility of more targeted flavor profiling of foods.

Dispatches from IFT

IFT trend tour: Naturally sourced

19-Jun-2009 - At the IFT trade show in Anaheim, Caroline Scott-Thomas followed the naturally sourced trend tour, and caught up with some of the companies highlighting natural products at the show.

Sensient offers flavor solution for stevia-sweetened beverages

15-May-2009 - Sensient Flavors has added its flavor masking technology to the raft of products that companies are offering to deal with potential off-notes associated with stevia-derived sweeteners.

Stevia’s organic potential is not limited, claims PureCircle

12-May-2009 - Major Reb A supplier PureCircle has disputed recent suggestions that stevia’s potential for use in organic foods could be limited, although it agrees that certification poses problems.

Wild Flavors seeks external stevia safety stamp

11-May-2009 - Wild Flavors has said it is aggressively working toward external safety assessment of its stevia extracts as it becomes the latest company to announce the launch of a stevia flavor solutions range.