PureCircle introduces new stevia sweetener for deeper calorie reductions

16-Sep-2011 - Stevia supplier PureCircle has introduced a new stevia-derived sweetener, which it claims has fewer of the taste problems previously associated with stevia, allowing deeper calorie reductions in a wide range of products.

Stevia market share to explode in 2011, says report

01-Sep-2011 - Use of stevia is predicted to rise at an astonishing rate this year, taking the natural sweetener's share of the total US sugars and sweeteners market from 1.8% in 2010 to 9.1% in 2011, according to Packaged Facts.

Sen. Lugar tours Indiana to rally support for sugar reform bill

30-Aug-2011 - Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) has been touring Indiana as part of a campaign calling for reform of US sugar policy, which he says keeps sugar prices artificially high and costs US jobs.

Wild develops taste modifier to match Reb 60 with Reb 95

25-Aug-2011 - Wild Flavors has developed a sweet taste modifier specifically for use with Reb A 60 that can match its flavor to that of higher purity stevia extracts, the company has claimed.

GLG Life Tech downgrades expectations, sees share price fall to year-low

16-Aug-2011 - Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has slashed its revenue expectations for 2011 and has seen its share price slip to a year low, as it reported its second quarter results.

Senators: HFCS is being ‘significantly mischaracterized’

10-Aug-2011 - A group of US senators has written to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in support of the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) petition to allow food manufacturers to label high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as ‘corn sugar’.

Danisco buy-out fails to dent DuPont Q2 earnings

28-Jul-2011 - Dupont, which earlier in the year warned that its May $6.49bn acquisition of Danisco would dent its yearly profits, has defied expectations in second quarter results published today.

GLG granted Stevia patent in China

20-Jul-2011 - A fully owned subsidiary of GLG Life Tech Corp has been granted a patent in China for its stevia extraction process.

Beverage brand loyalty in freefall as consumers turn 'super fickle'

19-Jul-2011 - With brand loyalty in the beverage aisles “in freefall” manufacturers have to work harder to excite consumers with new ideas from retro-style acid phosphates to drinking vinegar and Horchata, according to market researchers at The Hartman Group.

PureCircle-Firmenich agreement aims to accelerate flavor commercialization

06-Jul-2011 - Stevia player PureCircle, has agreed a multi-year global distribution agreement with Firmenich to accelerate commercialization of the company’s new natural flavor, NSF-02.

Now Health gets FDA GRAS for enzyme-modified stevia

27-Jun-2011 - Now Health Group has received a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) letter of no objection that its enzyme-modified organic stevia ingredient is generally recognized as safe (GRAS), the company has said.

Stevia: Moving beyond the ‘holy grail’ hype

22-Jun-2011 - Hype about the promise of stevia created inflated expectations – but the market has evolved in response, according to stevia supplier PureCircle’s vice president of global marketing Jason Hecker.

PureCircle introduces flavor modifier for sweetness enhancement

08-Jun-2011 - Stevia supplier PureCircle has developed a natural flavor modifier that enhances the sweetness of stevia, sugar and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to allow larger calorie reductions, the company has said.

Chengdu Wagott to more than double stevia capacity

08-Jun-2011 - Botanical extract manufacturer Chengdu Wagott is to open its second stevia facility in China, which it says will boost its Reb A capacity from 200 tons per year to 500 tons.

Dispatches from the ISA conference

‘No artificial’ claims are undermining confidence: ISA chair

24-May-2011 - Food and drink manufacturers are ‘shooting themselves in the foot’ by continually advertising products with ‘no artificial’ labels, says Hans Heezen, chairman of the International Sweetener Association.

Major league sugar players join ‘corn sugar’ lawsuit

24-May-2011 - Five companies and two trade organizations have joined a lawsuit against members of the corn refining industry in an attempt to stop them from claiming that high fructose corn syrup is a natural corn sugar.

Domino Foods enters stevia market in collaboration with Sunwin and Wild

19-May-2011 - Domino Foods, Wild Flavors and Sunwin International have entered a collaborative agreement to produce naturally-derived sweeteners and sweetening systems, the companies have said.

GLG Life Tech widens Q1 loss on higher costs

16-May-2011 - Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has reported a wider loss in the first quarter of 2011 on higher costs, the company has said.

‘Forgotten molecules’ may have potential in sweetener research: Review

16-May-2011 - Previously discovered sweetener molecules which have been ‘lost or forgotten’ in the scientific literature may have a place in the future of sweet taste research, according to a new review.

ISC program aims to calibrate stevia purity testing methods

04-May-2011 - The International Stevia Council has launched a new, independent proficiency testing program (PTP) for stevia products, which is intended as a benchmark to ensure analytical methods used to determine composition and purity yield accurate results.

Sugar industry members sue over corn sugar advertising

29-Apr-2011 - A group of sugar farmers and refiners has filed a lawsuit against members of the corn refining industry in an attempt to stop them from claiming that high fructose corn syrup is a natural corn sugar.

Tate & Lyle enters exclusive monk fruit sweetener deal with BioVittoria

28-Apr-2011 - Tate & Lyle today announced that it has entered a five-year exclusive global marketing and distribution agreement for BioVittoria’s zero-calorie monk fruit sweetener, the company told FoodNavigator-USA.

Sugar policy reform bills attract industry support

08-Apr-2011 - Sugar policy reform is back on the US legislative agenda, as two new bills that aim to end the sugar price support program have attracted broad food industry support.

Monk fruit sweetener starts to attract big guns in US food market

08-Apr-2011 - A raft of new food and drink products containing an intense natural sweetener from monk fruit (luo han guo) could hit shelves in the United States this year, according to the New Zealand-based firm driving its commercialization.