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...
