Asia and US lead stevia prospects, high hopes for Europe

21-Mar-2011 - Rising health concerns, all-natural credentials and growing regulatory approval are all driving stevia’s rapid market growth, finds a new report from Zenith International, which forecasts worldwide sales will more than triple in volume by 2014.

News in brief

GLG and IFF partner for stevia-derived flavor modulator

21-Mar-2011 - Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has partnered with International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) to extract and supply Rebaudioside C (Reb C) for use by IFF as a flavor modulator, the company said.

Home-grown stevia crop hits US market

03-Mar-2011 - Sweet Green Fields (SGF) has announced its first successful, commercial harvest of stevia grown in the US, which it claims can compete effectively on cost with China.

GLG says Chinese demand could help boost 2011 business by up to 60%

02-Feb-2011 - Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has said its business is likely to increase by 50 to 60 percent in 2011 compared to a year earlier, mainly due to increased demand in China.

Wild gains Toothfriendly approval for Sunwin Stevia

27-Jan-2011 - Wild has obtained “Toothfriendly” certification for its Sunwin Stevia product – the first stevia ingredient to obtain the endorsement.

GLG Life Tech enters JV for ‘largely untapped’ Chinese market

14-Dec-2010 - Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has entered into a joint venture with China Agriculture and Healthy Foods Company Limited (CAHFC) for the sale and distribution of stevia-sweetened foods and drinks, GLG has said.

Coca-Cola inks flavor innovation deal for sweetness enhancers

13-Dec-2010 - The Coca-Cola Company has announced a collaboration with Chromocell Corporation on flavor innovation research, targeting sweetness enhancers, natural sweeteners and other flavor ingredients.

PureCircle receives new patents for stevia production methods

09-Dec-2010 - PureCircle has announced that it has been granted three new patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office for the methods it uses to produce its stevia-derived sweetener ingredients.

Senomyx and Firmenich to partner on natural sweetness enhancers

07-Dec-2010 - Senomyx has expanded its collaboration with Firmenich to include the discovery, development and commercialization of natural sweetness enhancers to work with sucrose, fructose and stevia, the company has said.

Study supports stevia stability and safety in carbonated beverages

01-Dec-2010 - Sweetening carbonated beverages with stevia, and reb A in particular, does not produce any steviol aglycone, a potentially toxic compound, says a new study which supports the safety and stability of the sweetener.

Dispatches from HiE

Opening up the applications for stevia sweeteners

17-Nov-2010 - It started with beverages, but with intense work being carried out by the food industry on other applications for stevia sweeteners novel products are coming to market in the US, and in other global markets with regulatory approval - from yoghurts, to mints and other confectionery, and novelty ice creams.

Chinese stevia sales drive profits higher at GLG Life Tech

15-Nov-2010 - GLG Life Tech has posted higher third quarter profits, driven by increased stevia sales in China, growing demand for natural products in North America and global health concerns, the company has said.

Synergy tackles flavour challenges in high protein stevia drinks

21-Oct-2010 - Synergy has launched a range of new flavours which it claims will “tackle the flavouring challenges” in drinks posed by whey protein and natural sweetener stevia-sweetened beverages.

Research firm GIA predicts polyols could soon outsell artificial sweeteners

18-Oct-2010 - Safety concerns over artificial sweeteners and the expiry of patents mean that sales volumes could soon be overtaken by polyols, says a leading market research firm.

Pyure Brands to offer organic stevia

18-Oct-2010 - Private label stevia supplier Pyure Brands has introduced a line of organic stevia extracts with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status, the company has said.

Two global stevia trade associations launched this week

06-Oct-2010 - Suppliers and stakeholders in the stevia industry are organising to maintain standards and pursue scientific enquiry into the use of stevia sweeteners. But two trade organisations have been announced this week, with very different membership criteria and ostensibly different aims.

GLG finalizes Indian and Middle Eastern stevia agreement

06-Oct-2010 - Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has finalized a joint venture with Global Agrisystem Private Limited (Global Agri), a Katra Group company, to commercialize its stevia extracts in India and the Middle East, the company has said.

Wisdom Natural Brands opens new stevia processing facility

29-Sep-2010 - Stevia-based ingredient producer Wisdom Natural Brands is opening a new plant processing facility in Chile that it says will increase its output fivefold.

Special Edition: Asia

Facing the challenges of Chinese ingredient sourcing

24-Sep-2010 - China’s reputation as an ingredient supplier has suffered from a spate of food safety problems – but the food industry should not paint all China-based companies with the same broad brush, says stevia supplier GLG Life Tech.

PureCircle and Tereos target Europe and Brazil for sugar/stevia blends

22-Sep-2010 - PureCircle has launched a joint venture with the sugar company Tereos to provide sugar/stevia blends to the European market and gain a stronger international presence through Tereos’ Brazilian facilities.

GLG taps into Chinese demand for stevia; helps plug sugar shortfall

17-Sep-2010 - Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has signed an exclusive supply agreement with Fengyang Xiaogangcun Yongkang Foods High Tech Co. Ltd. (FXY) for distribution of its stevia products in China.

GLG gets FDA GRAS for stevia sweetener

15-Sep-2010 - Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has become the latest company to receive a letter of no objection from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) saying that its stevia sweetener is generally recognized as safe (GRAS).

PureCircle gets patent approval for stevia extraction process

07-Sep-2010 - Stevia supplier PureCircle has received a US Notice of Allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office for the production process of its stevia-derived sweeteners, the company has said.

S&W Seed reports sales surge in 2010

01-Sep-2010 - S&W Seed Company, which entered into an agreement to supply domestically grown stevia to PureCircle in May, has reported a 36 percent surge in revenue during fiscal 2010.