Apura Ingredients: Reb M via bioconversion… ‘Some companies accept it as a natural plant extract and others push back and say no, it is modified’
Apura Ingredients has recently expanded its sugar reduction platform after partnering with EPC Natural Products in Beijing, which specializes in natural taste and flavor modulators, said president Nancy Hughes. “Big companies are recognizing the value of reducing the amount of erythritol, aspartame, and sucralose they have to use by using a very small amount of these modulators.”
Asked about supply issues, she highlighted recent volatility in aspartame pricing and availability, a trend towards carrying more inventory to de-risk supply chains, and uneven supplies out of China given pandemic-related disruptions and increased regulations.
As for stevia, she said, there is still significant demand for products that are extracted directly from the leaf, with some also wary of Reb M produced via a bioconversion method involving enzymes, even if leaf extract is the starting material: “Some companies accept it as a natural plant extract and others push back and say no, it is modified.”