Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech is to team up with Indian agribusiness group Global Agri in a bid to develop the market for the sweetener in the country. GLG said on Wedneday (6 October) the two sides will develop and market stevia extracts in India and the Middle East. Under the deal, Global Agri will market GLG’s products including BlendSure, Rebpure and Rebsweet. GLG chairman and CEO Dr Luke Zhang said the company was “enthusiastic” about its venture with Global Agri. “With... ...Read more »

Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut has begun producing chocolate sweetened with Stevia extract on an industrial scale, with the first products to be launched by Belgian specialist chocolate maker Cavalier. Callebaut have replaced sugar in the new chocolate completely with a sweetener solution,  which is both high in fibre and contains 65% less calories. It also does not have the laxative effect of other non-sugar sweeteners, but the company says they haven’t compromisied on the celebrated... ...Read more »

US food giant Cargill said yesterday that it believes there will be demand across the EU for stevia, the natural, low-calorie sweetener awaiting regulatory approval from Brussels. Cargill, which develops stevia sweeteners for food and drink makers and sells its own branded tabletop sweetener under the Truvia trademark, is eyeing opportunities in the EU for the ingredient. Zanna McFerson, assistant vice president of Cargill’s health and nutrition arm, told just-food that the company has been... ...Read more »

Stevia supplier PureCircle has signed another venture to market sweeteners, this time with German food ingredients group Dohler.The venture, announced yesterday (23 September), comes a day after Malaysia-based PureCircle announced it was teaming up with French sugar giant Tereos to sell low-calorie sweeteners in Europe and Brazil. The Dohler venture will see PureCircle combine its stevia ingredients with the German group’s “sweetening flavour and application know-how” to make “natural,... ...Read more »

Stevia supplier PureCircle has received a notice of allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office for the production of high purity stevia sweeteners. The UK-listed firm earlier this month launched a global campaign in a bid to boost awareness of the natural sweetener among consumers. Issuance of the US patent, the company said today (31 August), will provide it with “strong competitive advantage and protections” across PureCircle’s portfolio of high purity stevia products. The... ...Read more »

Stevia supplier PureCircle yesterday (3 August) launched a global campaign in a bid to boost awareness of the natural sweetener among consumers. The UK-listed group said a “trust mark” entitled “Stevia by PureCircle” would be carried on the packaging of “leading manufacturers around the world”. The print, digital and TV campaign will start next month alongside other co-marketing activities already in place. Products with the message “naturally sweetened... ...Read more »

Shares in UK-listed stevia producer PureCircle soured yesterday (27 July) after the business warned profits in 2010 would be lower than a year earlier. PureCircle’s stock was down 16.2% to 229.5p at 09:59 BST this morning in the wake of the company’s profit warning. The company said profits would be “held back” by “significantly increased investment” in production, sales and marketing. The group said it was also running under capacity. “PureCircle’s... ...Read more »

CSR’s newly-sold sugar and renewable energy business, Sucrogen, through its joint venture, Sugar Australia, has signed an Agreement with GLG Life Tech Corporation for the distribution and marketing of its stevia extract products as an ingredient to the food and beverage sector.The distribution agreement covers the food and beverage sectors in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the Pacific Islands. Sugar Australia is the leading sugar refiner in Australia operating across multiple business... ...Read more »

New research by Datamonitor shows that consumers in Australia are more concerned with their high sugar intake, with nearly 40% of those surveyed keeping a close eye on sugar consumption. “Given the growing focus around ‘healthy’ eating, and improved knowledge of food preparation and nutrition thanks to shows like Masterchef, it is not surprising that our figures show growing concern over sugar consumption,” said Katrina Diamonon, consumer analyst at Datamonitor. “As a source of energy our... ...Read more »

NutrientWater has released Australia’s first stevia-sweetened beverage, NutrientWaterX, in two flavours. The beverage, available in ‘A-Game’ (strawberry guava) and ‘Refocus’ (Fuji-apple lime) flavours, contains 23 calories per bottle, compared to the 117 calories of original NutrientWater flavours, 200 for a similar amount of orange juice and around 250 for soft drink. ‘A-Game’ NutrientWater, a general health and wellbeing variety, will include a range of... ...Read more »