Givaudan has claimed it has discovered the bitter taste receptors triggered by Reb-A, the natural, high intensity sweetener derived from the leaves of the stevia plant.
Food manufacturers need to better understand consumer tactics for dealing with the economic crisis and employ palatable strategies to answer to a fresh set of values, according to a report from Packaged Facts.
GLG Life Tech has upgraded its stevia processing line at its plant in China to boost its output of rebiana that is of a higher purity, which associated with a better taste profile.
PureCircle has appointed Jordi Ferre to its senior management team in the US to spearhead the commercial development of the all-natural, zero calorie stevia-derived sweetener, Rebaudioside A (Reb A).
The tabletop sweetener company Merisant Worldwide has filed for bankruptcy in a move which it says will free up more cash to invest in its new stevia-derived sweetener PureVia.
GLG Life Tech Corporation may open up stevia plants in other countries following the announcement that it has begun operations at two new processing facilities for the sweetener in China.
GLG Life Tech Corporation said it had underestimated the capacity of its two new stevia processing plants in China as projections have now nearly doubled.
Reb A supplier PureCircle has joined with Firmenich in an exclusive global collaboration which aims to provide a formula for applications using the stevia-derived sweetener, not just the ingredient.
More stevia sweetened products are lining up for launch but campaigners are calling for the FDA decision that signaled that the sweetener could be used in food and beverages to be reversed.
A flurry of activity has followed the FDA no objection letters for the stevia-derived sweetener, Reb A, to be used in food and beverages as two companies announce self-affirmed GRAS.
The FDA has given the long-awaited green light for Reb A, the sweetener made from the stevia leaf, to be used in food and beverages - opening the flood gates for new product launches.
As the drive to bring stevia to shop shelves steps up a gear, campaigners urge caution in what they see as a rush to market, saying FDA GRAS must come first.
Coca-Cola is expected to launch a drink sweetened with stevia in the US this week, according to reports, but there is still no word from the FDA on GRAS status.
The CEO of US firm Natur Research Ingredients, Loren Miles, is to promote the benefits of its Cweet Natural Intense Sweetener to the European market as it awaits regulatory approval.
As the stevia circus rumbles on, the need for certification to ensure quality and clarity has been highlighted by a company which develops analytical tools for ingredients reference standards.
Sales of a stevia supplement across the US could hint at the potential demand for the natural sweetener in food and beverages as GRAS notification is expected within days.
Cargill has entered into an exclusive agreement with ChromaDex to ensure quality and consistency of the natural sweetener stevia, as ingredients companies scrabble for position in an emerging market.
The merger agreement between Bunge and Corn Products International has been thrown into turmoil as CPI’s board has withdrawn its support for the $4.8bn deal.
The American Beverage Association is calling on the new 2010 dietary recommendations which are currently being revised to include a guideline on proper hydration.
The course of true love never did run smooth. The same could be said of stevia’s road to regulatory approval as a food ingredient. One final concerted effort is needed to ensure approval of this hot ingredient.
The march to bring stevia into the mainstream continues as GLG Life Tech Corporation has struck a deal with US-based Weider Global Nutrition to take the sweetener to mass markets around the globe.
The safety of stevia has been called into question again after scientists at the University of California said further tests were needed on potential cancer causing properties before the sweetener is used in food and drink.
As both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola gear up to launch beverages sweetened with stevia, it could be that their common supplier, PureCircle, is the real winner in the race to be first to market.
PepsiCo is whipping up a storm in the beverage industry as it raises the stakes against its old rival Coca-Cola with the launch of a new natural sweetener from the stevia plant.
High fructose corn syrup may be labeled natural when synthetic fixing agents do not come into contact with it during manufacturing, said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), fuelling further debate on the controversial sweetener.
Ingredients group Blue California says it expects to obtain
self-affirmed generally regarded as safe (GRAS) approval for its
stevia-derived sweetener compound by next month.
Cargill yesterday gave a name to its stevia brand, further to the
publication of an overview of the science supporting the use of
rebiana as a sweetener.
Corn Products International is investing in what it sees as the
eventual approval of stevia as a sweetener by the US Food &
Drug Administration (FDA), by adding a stevia-based high-intensity
sweetener to its portfolio.
It is hard for food companies not to get drawn into the temptation of using attractive label claims that may be shrouded by a veil of doubt. But the real risk comes when the 'if you don't know, don't ask' question is finally answered.
FDA's comment that it does not consider high fructose corn syrup to
be 'natural' has generated heated debate in the US food industry,
with one camp relieved for the clarification, while the other camp
opposes it as...
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no plans in the near
future to establish a definition of the term 'natural', saying it
has other priorities for its limited resources.
Coca-Cola and Cargill will move to introduce their stevia sweetener
product in countries where the ingredient is already approved, the
firms have confirmed.
A new 'all natural' sweetener blend for baked goods claims to be
able to replace sugar on a one to one basis without compromising
the sweetness or structure of a product.
No sweetener currently available on the market has proven to be
a fully satisfactory replacement for sugar, but the emergence of
stevia could rekindle hope, according to Freedonia. The analyst
examines the sweetener market in the...