Sweeteners (intense, bulk, polyols)

Costs, adulteration concerns making domestic botanical supply more attractive, expert says

27-Aug-2013 By Hank Schultz

After years of moving overseas, supply and adulteration issues have created a push to bring more botanical dietary supplement manufacturing and sourcing back to North America, says industry insider Greg Cumberford.

How does taste work? How our evolving understanding could lead to better food

27-Aug-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Our understanding of how we taste is evolving, and with it, the opportunities to create foods that are tastier – and healthier.

Wells Fargo: ‘We’re increasingly concerned about the continued underperformance of Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s TEN platform’

23-Aug-2013 By Elaine WATSON

It was a dismal summer in the US soft drinks aisles, with dollar sales of diet/low calorie soda plunging 7.1% in the four weeks to August 3 vs the same period last year, while unit sales slumped 6.9%, according to new report from Wells Fargo.

Genetics may play a role in sweetener perception

21-Aug-2013 By Nathan Gray

Genetically influenced responses to sweeteners may mean that food and beverage companies require a range of artificial sweeteners to accommodate different consumer tastes.

Tea innovation promises to cut the bitter back-end off stevia

20-Aug-2013 By Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn

Flavour and fragrance ingredient supplier Treatt has created a new tea formula adapted to the specific flavour of stevia in response to a growing market trend for natural sweeteners.

Big interview: Jay Klein, founder & CEO, Action Candy Company (PÜR Gum)

Kicking aspartame? The rise and rise of PÜR Gum

19-Aug-2013 By Elaine WATSON

You don’t launch a new brand in the gum category by calling the buyer at Walmart and asking nicely for some shelf-space at the checkout between Juicy Fruit and Trident, observes the founder of aspartame-free PÜR Gum.

GLG Lifetech works with China’s largest food company to tackle obesity, diabetes epidemic with stevia

15-Aug-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Stevia supplier GLG Lifetech is working with China’s largest food company - state-owned COFCO (China National Cereals, Oils, and Foodstuffs Corporation) - on three major healthy food and beverage formulation projects.

Coca-Cola unveils ad reassuring consumers about the safety of artificial sweeteners

14-Aug-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Coca-Cola has launched a new ad reassuring consumers that artificial high intensity sweeteners are safe alternatives to sugar.

Be careful which nutritional bogeyman you go after, says NHANES analysis

14-Aug-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Some of the biggest contributors of calories, sat fats and added sugar in the American diet are also the largest contributors of vital nutrients, says a new study highlighting some potentially unintended consequences of diets that just focus on calorie...

WhiteWave Foods: 'Evaporated cane juice was not controversial until this recent tsunami of lawsuits was filed '

08-Aug-2013 By Elaine WATSON

WhiteWave Foods has filed a motion to dismiss the latest in a “tsunami of lawsuits” alleging consumers are being misled by the use of the term ‘evaporated cane juice’ (ECJ) to describe dried sugar cane syrup (aka sugar).

Purple rain: Purple corn craze moves from snacks to beer, bread, confectionery and popcorn

07-Aug-2013 By Elaine WATSON

A Minnesota-based firm making waves with anthocyanin-packed purple-corn ingredients says it has had significant interest from the snack food market, but is also talking to microbrewers, confectioners, and firms manufacturing everything from sourdough...

Dr Chassy: ‘None of the animals and plants we eat today exist ‘in nature’, they have all been extensively genetically modified’

06-Aug-2013 By Elaine WATSON

What precedent might it set if firms are forced to label foods made using new technologies, even if the end product does not differ in any meaningful way from foods developed by ‘traditional’ methods?

Plant geneticist on GMOs: 'Food's an emotional issue, and people need to be better informed'

05-Aug-2013 By Elaine WATSON

If you plot them both on a graph, the rise in diagnosed cases of autism correlates closely with the rise in sales of organic foods. So do organic foods cause autism? Of course not.

Stevia without plants? We won’t rule it out – but it’s not what consumers want right now, says PureCircle

30-Jul-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Stevia sweeteners can now be developed through fermentation – rather than extraction from stevia plants – but it is the plant-based message that is most important to consumers, according to (plant-derived) stevia supplier PureCircle.

Wrigley files patent for ‘natural’ tooth friendly gummies

29-Jul-2013 By Oliver Nieburg

Mars-owned Wrigley is attempting to patent a method to produce ‘natural’ tooth friendly gummies using erythritol.

From leaf to shelf: ISC aims to unite stevia supply chain

29-Jul-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Stevia trade association the International Stevia Council (ISC) has called for more end users to become involved in its activities, to spur sustainability and more uniform standards in the sector.

What's a bored, hypoglycemic lawyer to do? Start a natural label, low sugar ice cream company, of course!

24-Jul-2013 By Hank Schultz

For Justin Woolverton, founder and CEO of premium ice cream brand Halo Top Creamery, life had become too sweet and too sour at the same time. A dissatisfaction with his career path and a dietary restriction landed him in the freezer aisle.

Cargill hit with deceptive marketing lawsuit alleging Truvia stevia-based sweetener is not ‘natural’

19-Jul-2013 By Elaine WATSON

A lawsuit filed in Hawaii alleges that Cargill is misleading shoppers by marketing its Truvia retail products as ‘natural’ as the Reb-A steviol glycosides they contain are "highly chemical processed" and the bulking agent used (erythritol) is...

Judge asks FDA to decide once and for all on whether GMOs belong in 'natural' products

12-Jul-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Lawyers defending food industry clients in consumer class actions over whether GMOs belong in 'natural' products say courts should follow a California judge's lead and let the FDA determine this matter once and for all, so such cases stop...

PureCircle Reb D stevia can push soda sucrose cuts ‘well beyond’ 30%

10-Jul-2013 By Ben BOUCKLEY

PureCircle insists it newly GRAS-approved stevia-based sweetener Rebaudioside D can deliver ‘great tasting products’ well beyond a 30% threshold typically associated with Rebaudioside A alone.

US APPROVAL COULD REIGNITE PEPSI/COKE COLA WARS

'Relight my (Cola) Fire?' FDA approves PureCircle Reb D stevia

09-Jul-2013 By Ben BOUCKLEY

The US FDA has issued a ‘No Objection’ GRAS letter allowing beverage manufacturers to use Pure Circle’s high-purity Reb D stevia to sweeten US products, a move that could reignite the Pepsi/Coke cola wars.

The sugar-fat seesaw: Food consumption patterns mean reducing both sugar and fat is tough, say researchers

08-Jul-2013 By Nathan Gray

There is a strong inverse association in the percentage of energy that we consume from fats and sugars, which may be why many struggle to reduce both fat and sugar intake, according to a new review.

Big interview: Dr Roger Beachy, CEO, Global Institute for Food Security

GMO pioneer: I got into biotech because I wanted to reduce the use of chemical pesticides

08-Jul-2013 By Elaine WATSON

One of the founding fathers of agricultural biotechnology, best-known for his pioneering research on virus-resistant plants, Dr Roger Beachy caught up with FoodNavigator-USA to give us his perspective on the current debate over the role of GM crops in...

Missed Natural & Clean Label Trends 2013? Listen again free, on-demand

08-Jul-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Is it a safer bet to say 'Made with natural ingredients' than 'All-natural' on pack? Are consumers in the UK and the US looking for different cues on a label to determine if something is natural or wholesome? And did you know that...

Big interview: Brian Meadows, president, GLG Life Tech

GLG Life Tech shares back on the TSX: ‘The stevia market is growing, and we're positioned to take full advantage’

05-Jul-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has resumed trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and reassured investors that “the stevia market is growing worldwide, and we are positioned to take full advantage.”

Celanese targets beverages and dairy with new Qorus sweetener system

05-Jul-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Beverage and dairy formulations have a new sweetener system option that offers ‘authentic taste’, says Celanese Food Ingredients Business.

Big interview, Gregory Jaffe, Director of Biotechnology, CSPI

CSPI: There are legitimate concerns about GMOs, but not around food safety, and labeling would be misleading

03-Jul-2013 By Elaine WATSON

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has made a name for itself by tackling the food industry’s big guns on everything from artery-furring entrees to misleading label claims. But where does it stand on genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?

Coke and PureCircle seek GRAS status for new 'Rebaudioside X' stevia

01-Jul-2013 By Ben BOUCKLEY

The Coca-Cola Company and JV partner PureCircle have discovered and made progress in developing a new stevia-based food ingredient Rebaudioside X and are seeking GRAS approval for it in the US.

DuPont unveils innovation center in Johnston, Iowa, focused on food and agriculture

28-Jun-2013 By Elaine WATSON

DuPont has opened an innovation center in Johnston, Iowa, where its scientists can collaborate with customers and other partners on everything from addressing global food security and next generation high-oleic soybean varieties to the latest applications...

Coca-Cola ups the ante in mid-calorie cola stakes with stevia-sweetened Coca-Cola Life

27-Jun-2013 By Elaine WATSON

While the zero-calorie natural sweetener stevia is now used in scores of high-profile brands from Sprite Select to Vitamin Water Zero, the only top-tier cola brand to try it to date has been the Australian formulation of Pepsi Next, which has 30% less...

Natural & Clean Label Trends 2013: Who's driving the agenda? From Simple Truth to Open Nature…

21-Jun-2013 By Elaine WATSON

USDA certified organic on a food label means something concrete. ‘Natural’ or ‘clean label’ mean something rather more fluid. But while the stream of lawsuits over ‘natural’ claims suggests more clarity is needed - particularly on GMOs - some general...

Tate & Lyle 'disappointed' by CSPI's note of caution about sucralose

13-Jun-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Tate & Lyle says it is “very disappointed” that the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has removed sucralose from the ‘safe’ category in its guide to food additives on the back of unpublished research from a scientist it claims has been...

Appeals court dismisses organic farmers’ lawsuit vs Monsanto, but says firm has promised it won’t sue over inadvertent contamination

12-Jun-2013 By Elaine WATSON

A federal appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Monsanto by organic farmers and seed companies— but stressed that Monsanto has in turn given binding promises that it will not sue farmers whose crops have been inadvertently contaminated with...

Maple Leaf Foods CEO: ‘A global food strategy must meet the needs of the many, not just the affluent few’

11-Jun-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Blanket opposition to genetically modified crops is “a morally unacceptable position to take on the basis of unsubstantiated suspicions and fears”, according to the boss of Toronto-based firm Maple Leaf Foods.

Natural & Clean Label Trends 2013

Where do your products sit in the clean label hierarchy?

07-Jun-2013 By Elaine WATSON

If it sounds like a ‘chemical’, or isn’t in the kitchen cupboard, shoppers may regard it with suspicion. But which ingredients are 'acceptable' to today's consumers, which are to be avoided, and who decides?

Sucralose sweetener may modify sugar metabolism: Study

31-May-2013 By Nathan Gray

Dietary intake of the non-nutritive sweetener sucralose might alter the way your body processes and reacts to normal dietary sugars, according to new research.

Sanford Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference 2013

PepsiCo CEO slams ‘maniacal’ cola focus, says Stevia does not suit category

30-May-2013 By Ben BOUCKLEY

PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi believes a ‘maniacal focus’ on cola's woes is unhelpful within the US beverage market, and despite the firm’s heavy investment in Rebaudioside D-based sweetener innovation, claims Stevia ‘does not work well in colas’.

Natural & Clean Label Trends 2013: How clean is your label? And can GMOs ever belong in 'natural' products?

24-May-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Recent data from Symphony Consulting (click here), shows that while US retail sales of products making ‘natural’ claims still grew in 2012, the pace of that growth slowed noticeably compared with the 2009-11 period.

BEVERAGEDAILY.COM SPECIAL EDITION: SWEETENER INNOVATION

Beverage launches driving stevia-sweetened product growth: PureCircle

23-May-2013 By Mark ASTLEY

The number of stevia-sweetened products launched around the world in 2012 'nearly doubled' compared to 2011 – a figure that leading stevia manufacturer, PureCircle, attributes to a recent steady stream of naturally-sweetened beverage launches.

BEVERAGEDAILY.COM SPECIAL EDITION: SWEETENER INNOVATION

Sucralose and stevia steal sweetening show for US beverage developer

23-May-2013 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Stevia and sucralose are the best natural and non-natural sweeteners on the US market, according to one beverage developer, with savvy formulators able to iron out the former’s aftertaste issues.

BEVERAGEDAILY.COM SPECIAL: SWEETENER INNOVATION

Mid-calorie soft drink success rests on tackling stevia aftertaste issues: Analyst

23-May-2013 By Mark ASTLEY

Mid-calorie carbonated soft drink manufacturers must deal with the aftertaste issues associated with stevia, as the natural sweetener becomes more widely accepted by consumers, according to Datamonitor consumer analyst, Melanie Felgate.

BEVERAGEDAILY.COM SPECIAL EDITION: SWEETENER INNOVATION

Monk fruit makes headway…but still faces aftertaste issues: Mintel

23-May-2013 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Mintel analyst Laura Jones tells BeverageDaily.com that use of monk fruit as an all-natural, zero calorie sweetener has tripled in the past five years, but says she believes it still has taste issues to overcome.

BEVERAGEDAILY.COM SPECIAL EDITION: SWEETENER INNOVATION

Ajinomoto fights to ‘stabilize profitability’ in aspartame after 2012 losses total billions of yen

23-May-2013 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Ajinomoto’s industrial aspartame business lost billions of yen in 2012, but the company’s Senior VP for North America tells BeverageDaily.com it is working hard to ‘stabilize profitability’.

'Got aspartame in your kids' milk?' FDA urged to reject flavoured milk sweetener petition

17-May-2013 By Mark ASTLEY

US consumer group SumOfUs has plastered its new “Got Aspartame in your kids’ milk?” poster on buses destined for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) HQ, in a last-ditch attempt to convince the authority not to approve a proposed amendment to the standard...

Former FDA official on GMO labeling: ‘Science doesn’t always win’

17-May-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Whether the food industry likes it or not, when it comes to GMO labeling, the “train appears to have left the station”, according to former FDA associate commissioner of foods Dr David Acheson.

Referring ‘natural’ claims issue to FDA would be 'futile’ says judge in suit vs General Mills

16-May-2013 By Elaine WATSON

In an order that will be read carefully by those following ‘natural’ labeling lawsuits, a California judge has rejected an argument routinely made by defendants - that the FDA has primary jurisdiction when it comes to judging whether ‘natural’ claims...

Cargill launches new initiative to help manufacturers meet customers’ kids nutrition guidelines

01-May-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Cargill has launched a new initiative designed to help manufacturers improve the nutritional profile of foods marketed to children and meet a swathe of new guidelines from retailers, the government and other organizations setting nutrition criteria for...

FoodNavigator-USA

Resources