PureCircle has partnered with tobacco farmers in North Carolina (US) to commercially grow its StarLeaf stevia for the next planting season, to meet growing demand for food and beverage launches using the plant-based sweetener.
California-based SweeGen has received a GRAS no objections letter from the FDA for the use of its Bestevia branded Reb-D - manufactured from stevia leaf extracts converted to Reb D using enzymes – for use as a general purpose sweetener for food and beverage...
Held at the W hotel in Chicago Nov 13-15, FOOD VISION USA brought together a glittering array of speakers from big and small food brands, spanning topics from food e-commerce and meal kits to clean-label trends, clean meat, hydroponics and whether the...
Monk fruit is still more expensive than stevia, but significant progress is being made on tackling the pricing and regulatory issues that have historically held the market back, says Layn Corp, a leading supplier of monk fruit and stevia based natural...
Stevia specialist Sweet Green Fields (SGF) is deploying so-called ‘intelligent tongue’ technology in its quest to identify blends of steviol glycosides and other natural ingredients (taste enhancers, modulators) that most closely match the taste profile...
Amazon can be an “insanely disruptive” platform for challenger brands willing to put in the time and effort to understand how to maximize their prospects on the site, says Pyure Brands, which is giving far larger rivals a run for their money in the stevia-based...
PepsiCo is seeking to patent a technique of producing the sugary-tasting steviol glycoside Reb M via an enzymatic method that delivers "higher purity at a lower cost.”
Seeing a looming opportunity, dietary ingredients supplier Ethical Naturals has brought a new monk fruit sweetener ingredient to market that it says uses the same technology that it applies to its botanical extracts.
Flavor innovation is usually seen as a key component of food product development and of less concern for supplements. But as sports nutrition brands seek competitive advantages and to bring in fringe, lifestyle-type consumers, flavors are taking center...
'Clean label' used to be about ousting artificial (or artificial-sounding) ingredients from food labels, but is beginning to move beyond what must be declared on the ingredients list to cover incidental additives, pesticide residues, and animal...
The controversial requirement to list added sugar on the nutrition facts panel has divided the industry. Though different parties may disagree on whether or not the move is good or bad for the industry, many agree that it will certainly change the landscape.
To many consumers, ‘processed food’ is just another term for ‘junk food.’ It’s hard to define, but we know it when we see it (Twinkies). But do we know a ‘highly processed’ ingredient when we see it, and how much processing is too much? Elaine Watson...
Using traditional plant breeding techniques, PureCircle has developed a stevia plant with 20 times more sweet-tasting steviol glycosides than standard stevia, it says.
A new player in the stevia market - Steviana Bioscience - is looking to carve a niche in the market for next generation stevia sweeteners, which utilize some of the minor glycosides in the stevia leaf, notably Reb D.
To the casual observer, ‘cleaning up’ our food sounds like an eminently sensible thing to do. But where is the clean label trend going, and is ditching every ingredient you can’t pronounce really the key to fixing the ‘broken’ food system (as Panera implies...
Greco has experience ‘in preparing and bringing companies to acquisition’
Former Sbarro CEO James Greco has taken the helm at True Drinks Holdings – the firm behind kids’ flavored water brand AquaBall – while Kevin Sherman (who has been in charge since Lance Leonard departed in December 2015) will stay on as president.
How stevia controls blood sugar levels has remained a mystery until now as researchers think they have unravelled the natural, no-calorie sweetener's action that results in its observed health benefits.
“We’ve always known this is a product for college students and young professionals, and the best way to reach them is foodservice,” Sunniva CEO Jimmy DeCicco told FoodNavigator-USA
Twenty-four public health advocates and organizations are calling on the Canadian government to levy a significant tax on manufacturers of sugary drinks to discourage consumption and help fund healthy living initiatives.
ADM is bringing two sweetener brands, SweetRight stevia and VerySweet monk fruit, to market following a tie up with Canadian high potency sweeteners specialist GLG Lifetech.
California-based SweeGen has received a GRAS no objections letter from the FDA for the use of its Bestevia branded Reb-M - manufactured from stevia leaf extracts converted to Reb M using enzymes – for use as a general purpose sweetener for food and beverage...
California-based B’BOX Group claims to have developed a proprietary technique for producing clean-tasting, high-purity stevia extracts that is so fast and cost-efficient that it says leading CPG manufacturers are considering buying the technology and...
As the technology around producing steviol glycosides continues to evolve, transparency in labeling will be critical if consumer trust in ‘natural’ sweeteners is to be retained, says PureCircle, which claims to be the “clear market leader in terms of...
'siratose has demonstrated potency and overall taste quality superior to existing monk fruit sweeteners'
Senomyx has identified a new zero-calorie, high-potency sweetening compound found in trace levels in monk fruit, which it plans to produce on a commercial scale via fermentation.
If high purity Reb A used to be the only game in town when it comes to stevia, the game has become a lot more sophisticated in the past couple of years as suppliers compete to provide the best-tasting combinations of steviol glycosides, and products become...
For years, carbonated soft drinks were the go-to choice for Americans to quench their thirst and boost their energy, but in recent years the category has begun to falter – creating an opening for a bevy of innovative beverage brands to emerge, according...
Two California state senate bills would mandate controversial warnings on some foods and beverages, and if enacted could start a domino effect among other like-minded states, potentially creating a patchwork of laws and compliance headache for national...
Yogurt manufacturers continue to expand and evolve their portfolios with healthier and more convenient options that meet consumers’ growing demand for products that are lower in sugar, high in flavor and easy to eat.
CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT THE 2017 WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW
A “striking” increase in the consumption of no- and low-calorie sweeteners over 13 years combined with conflicting data on their connection to obesity, diabetes and other health issues escalates the need for more research on their chronic health effects,...
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has released shipments of refined stevia from PureCircle coming in from China that had been held at the border based on allegations that they contained stevia produced using forced labor.
Cacao is best known for its antioxidant-rich nut that is used to make chocolate, but the fruit has more to offer -- including a sweet white pulp that helps set Suavva Cacao Smoothies apart from other RTD juices and shakes.
Consumer research leads Cargill to believe that it has finally rounded the stevia taste bend, just in time for the revamp of nutrition labeling phases in over the next several years.
With the launch of a new line of cocktail mixers, Zevia continues its transformation from a leader specializing in only diet, all-natural soda to a multi-service platform that offers beverages for a variety of needs throughout the day and into the evening.
The coconut water category in the US may be crowded, but it still has room to grow with sales projected to reach $1.97 billion in 2019 -- up from $778 million in 2015, according to Statista. Much of this growth likely will come from innovative twists...
Chaska, MN-based Dynamic Food Ingredients (DFI) Corporation has struck a deal with the world's fourth largest sugar producer, Thailand-based Mitr Phol Group, to commercialize technology it claims could slash production costs for erythritol and xylitol,...
Ironically, perhaps, just as open innovation is fostering a more open and collaborative culture in the notoriously secretive world of food R&D, consumers are becoming increasingly suspicious of scientists ‘meddling’ with their food, says Cargill’s...
A review article published in a dentistry journal makes the case that erythritol is superior to xylitol or sorbitol in preventing adhesion of harmful bacteria to teeth.
Finding solutions to reduce sodium, sugar and calories in finished products is essential as regulators and consumers demand healthier products – but the increasing desire for “clean labels” adds a complicating twist to the process of sourcing suitable...
By bucking the emerging trend toward smaller, thinner, portion-controlled snacking chocolate and embracing a distinctively large square format, Durci – a new artisanal line of chocolate from the makers of Crio Bru – quickly secured shelf space in high-end...
Aspartame-sweetened Diet Pepsi to return as 'classic' sub-brand
Aspartame, said PepsiCo in April 2015, “is the #1 reason why US consumers say they are drinking less diet cola, so we’re confident that with this change [to sucralose], consumers will come back into the Diet Pepsi franchise.” Today, with sales continuing...
The added sugars portion of the newly revamped nutrition facts labels for food products will provide a significant opportunity for purveyors of alternative sweeteners, an industry expert says.
As The Dannon Company nears the finish line for fulfilling its promise to improve the nutrition of its products that it made three years ago to the Partnership for a Healthier America, the company also is demonstrating that what is good for Americans’...
Product packaging today often is cluttered with so many certifications that consumers’ can’t absorb everything in the brief time they look at labels in stores, and as a result the icons’ impact is diminished and manufacturers likely aren’t getting their...
Under cover of darkness, deep in Northern and Central India and the Himalayans, harvesters for Heavenly Organics gently brush away sleeping bees from wild hives to collect the velvety, organic raw white honey that fills the firm’s award-winning confections...
As the number of health-conscious consumers increase, so do the number of brands touting a healthier alternative to what’s out there. Here’s an update from brands in this category that we’ve covered before.
Retailers and manufacturers that want to meet consumers’ growing demand for food free from preservatives need to rethink their strategies for packing, shipping and stocking products, suggest the husband and wife team behind Grain-Free JK Gourmet.
True Foods Inc. wants to make everyday foods “healthier, more delicious and better for our world” by packing them with more vegetables and less added sugar – an ambitious mission to which consumers are responding enthusiastically judging by the startup’s...
