The leaf is still the starting point
In the US, Daepyung is "not competing in the Reb A 95 commodity market" or selling costly Reb D extracted directly from the leaf (in which it is only present in tiny quantities), but thinks there is potential in converting Reb A to Reb D through enzymatically modifying stevia leaf extracts.
This way, the leaf is still the starting point (whereas some other players are using genetically engineered microbes to ferment sugar sources to produce Reb D, and dispensing with stevia leaves altogether), said Kim: "We're doing it in a way that is more efficient, more affordable and more sustainable."