Zerose erythritol is FEMA GRAS and can be used in soft drinks as ‘natural flavor’, says Cargill

Cargill’s Zerose erythritol has been deemed generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use as a flavor in non-alcoholic beverages by the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States (FEMA), and can be included at up to 1.25% and labeled as ‘natural flavor’, says the company.

The FEMA GRAS* status is also recognized in Mexico, while other geographies are pending, said Cargill marketing programs manager Pam Stauffer.

“Consumers are increasingly concerned about the traceability, sustainability and ‘naturalness’ of food ingredients. Zerose erythritol helps beverage manufacturers address these issues by providing a natural flavor to reduce the off-tastes of high-intensity sweeteners and improve mouthfeel without adding calories.”

Erythritol, which is frequently combined with high potency natural sweeteners as it has a bulking effect but zero calories, has a clean, sweet, sugar-like taste, and does not raise blood glucose or insulin levels.

While erythritol is found naturally in many fruits, it is typically manufactured on a commercial scale by a fermentation process in which a simple sugar-rich substrate is fermented by a yeast like fungus to yield erythritol.

The product is then crystallized to 99.5% purity from the filtered and concentrated fermentation broth.

*If flavor ingredients are FEMA GRAS, their safety has been determined by FEMA’s expert panel. Click HERE for more information.