Sweeteners (intense, bulk, polyols)

Big interview: Karl Kramer, president, innovation and commercial development, Tate & Lyle

Tate & Lyle innovation chief: ‘We’re not interested in me-too products’

24-Jul-2012 By Elaine Watson

What’s in Tate & Lyle’s innovation pipeline? That’s top secret, says Karl Kramer, “but we are working on some completely new, completely novel ingredients and exciting technologies. We’re not interested in me-too products.”

Truvia will challenge Splenda in tabletop sweetener market within two years, predicts Cargill

20-Jul-2012 By Elaine WATSON

If current trends continue, stevia-based sweetener Truvia will be eyeball to eyeball with sucralose-based rival Splenda in the US retail tabletop sweeteners market within two years, brand owner Cargill has predicted.

Mining the stevia leaf: ‘Reb A purity is the old way of thinking’

13-Jul-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Combining different sweet components from the stevia leaf – in a similar way to combining artificial sweeteners – may be the next step toward improving the flavor of stevia-sweetened products, says PureCircle’s vp of global marketing and innovation Jason...

Why did we get so fat, so fast? Toxic sugar, HFCS, obesity and the blame game...

11-Jul-2012 By Elaine Watson

We've all heard the statistics - almost 36% of Americans are now obese. But 50 years ago, it was just 13%. So why did we get so fat, so quickly? And what role did sugar - and specifically high fructose corn syrup - have to play?

Non-nutritive sweeteners can help weight loss and maintenance – with caveats

11-Jul-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Using non-nutritive sweeteners instead of added sugars may help people reach and maintain a healthy weight, but there is limited evidence about whether this is effective for reducing calories and sugars in the long term, say two major US medical associations.

Mintel: stevia-containing products show “significant uplift” in number

10-Jul-2012 By Rod Addy

The number of new products sweetened with stevia extracts in the EU shows a “significant uplift” on last year according to David Jago, Mintel director of innovation and insight.

Big Interview: Ilene Gordon, chairman, president and CEO, Ingredion

Ingredion CEO: ‘Some manufacturers are outsourcing NPD to their suppliers’

10-Jul-2012 By Elaine WATSON

With R&D departments at some food manufacturers pared down to the bone as bosses slash overheads to control costs, open innovation has moved from a hot topic on the conference circuit to a practical necessity, says Ingredion CEO Ilene Gordon.

PureCircle: High purity stevia volumes up 20% plus

09-Jul-2012 By Rod Addy

High purity stevia volume sales at PureCircle have increased by more than 20% year-on-year, PureCircle reported in a pre-close update for the second half of its financial year.

New ‘drop-in’ sweetener system creates sugar-like taste across categories, claims Nutrinova

05-Jul-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Nutrinova has introduced a new ‘drop-in’ sweetener system for reduced sugar and sugar-free beverages and dairy, which aims to closely emulate the taste of full-calorie sweetener systems and simplify product development.

Dispatches from IFT 2012 Las Vegas

IFT 2012 new product round-up: Sweeteners

28-Jun-2012 By Rod Addy

A wealth of new sweetener blends are being showcased by exhibitors at IFT 2012 in Las Vegas, with a major focus on natural sources.

Niutang on course to complete 1,200t sucralose plant by end of fiscal 2012

27-Jun-2012 By Elaine Watson

Chinese high intensity sweeteners specialist Niutang Chemical says work on a new, 1,200 metric ton capacity sucralose production facility is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Sugar debate: Fructose may be healthy after all

25-Jun-2012 By Nathan Gray

A new review of the scientific evidence suggests that fructose may not be as bad as some research has suggested, and may even provide some health benefits.

Pasta goes bananas: Green banana flour offers gluten-free pasta solutions

25-Jun-2012 By Nathan Gray

Flour milled from green bananas could help solve the riddle of how to create cheap yet tasty gluten-free pasta, say researchers.

Sweet and sour: Social media reveals consumer perceptions of sweeteners

19-Jun-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Which sweeteners are consumers discussing on social media? And is the conversation positive or negative? The rise of social media is giving marketers access to an honest snapshot of consumer perceptions, says research company Loudpixel.

Confectionery industry heartened by close sugar program vote

15-Jun-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

The candy industry and sugar growers are both claiming at least a partial victory after the US Senate voted 50-46 to shelve an amendment to the 2012 Farm Bill that would have repealed the current sugar program.

Tate & Lyle opens new innovation center and US specialty ingredients HQ

14-Jun-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Tate & Lyle opened its 110,000-square-foot innovation and commercial development global headquarters in Chicago on Wednesday, as part of its strategy to focus on specialty food ingredients and move closer to its customers.

Research casts doubt on sugary drinks links to high blood pressure

07-Jun-2012 By Nathan Gray

The link between sugary drinks and high blood pressure has been cast into doubt after new research revealed sweet drinks are associated with high blood pressure – regardless of whether they are sweetened with sugar or artificial agents.

Survey: Two-thirds of Americans oppose Bloomberg’s super-size soda crackdown

05-Jun-2012 By Elaine Watson

Almost two thirds of Americans oppose NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg’s radical approach to tackling obesity by cracking down on sales of super-sized soft drinks, according to a new survey.

Taste receptor discovery could help industry ease the bitter taste of stevia

04-Jun-2012 By Nathan GRAY

The discovery of a taste receptor that controls the bitter flavour notes associated with stevia could lead industry to new ways to improve the taste of the natural sweetener, suggest researchers.

Sugar attorney: Jury in corn sugar lawsuit will draw same conclusion as FDA on HFCS

04-Jun-2012 By Elaine Watson

The fact that the FDA does not regard ‘corn sugar’ as a suitable alternate name for 'high fructose corn syrup' on food labels will add more weight to a false advertising lawsuit which argues it should not be used in marketing materials either,...

Coke, McDonald’s blast Bloomberg’s ‘misguided’ crackdown on super-size sodas

31-May-2012 By Elaine Watson

McDonald's and Coke have blasted New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s radical bid to ban sales of super-sized sodas from foodservice outlets as “misguided”, while supporters have hailed it as the "boldest effort yet" to tackle obesity.

Breaking news

FDA denies corn sugar petition: ‘We are not persuaded by the argument’

31-May-2012 By Elaine Watson

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied a petition by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) urging it recognize 'corn sugar' as an alternate name for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

ConAgra switches back to HFCS in Hunt’s ketchup citing lackluster demand

31-May-2012 By Elaine Watson

ConAgra has reverted back to using high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in its Hunt’s ketchup less than two years after replacing the much-maligned sweetener with sugar.

Chinese sucralose supply shortage: ‘No one is coming to the plate with economical sucralose’

25-May-2012 By Elaine Watson

Firms sourcing sucralose from China are struggling to secure supplies owing to a combination of factors including rising demand as sugar prices rise, electricity shortages in southern China and tighter enforcement of environmental legislation, FoodNavigator-USA...

Sugar becomes new bogeyman as fats take a back seat in new consumer survey

24-May-2012 By Elaine Watson

While consumer concerns about fats appear to have waned somewhat, the percentage of Americans blaming sugars for their expanding waistlines has almost doubled since last year, according to new research.

Euromonitor analyst: Monk fruit on the road to mainstream success – but still a long way to go

23-May-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Monk fruit extract may be set to become a mainstream natural sweetener alongside stevia, but price remains a barrier, according to a Euromonitor industry analyst.

Sugar reform advocates ‘disappointed’ with lack of policy debate

21-May-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Sugar users have said they are disappointed that both the Senate and House Agriculture Committees have voted to advance the 2012 Farm Bill without amending current sugar policy, which they claim costs the US food industry by inflating domestic sugar prices.

Could it be second time lucky for low-cal bulk sweetener Tagatose?

18-May-2012 By Elaine Watson

Belgian firm Nutrilab NV is preparing to introduce low-calorie, low glycemic bulk sweetener Tagatose to North and South America later this year, six years after dairy giant Arla Foods pulled the plug on the ingredient claiming it was not commercially...

Coke takes ‘natural’ mid-calorie carbonate plunge in Pepsi NEXT wake with stevia-based trials

15-May-2012 By Ben Bouckley

The Coca-Cola Company is poised to test its own mid-calorie sodas in the US using Sprite and Fanta using natural sweeteners including Cargill's stevia brand, hot on the heels of PepsiCo’s mid-calorie cola launch Pepsi NEXT.

USDA predicts record corn harvest

14-May-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has predicted a record corn harvest in 2012-13, potentially easing cost pressures on food manufacturers by the end of the calendar year.

Special edition: Where next for natural sweeteners?

08-May-2012 By Elaine Watson

From stevia to monk fruit, oats, agave nectar and coconut palm sugar.  In the second of our spring special editions, we look at what’s next for natural sweeteners.  

GLG Life Tech receives cease trade order

04-May-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has stopped trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange after it received a full cease trade order from the British Columbia Securities Commission, due to delayed filing of its year-end financial statements and related documents.

Pepsi NEXT lures new consumers into cola category as sales exceed expectations

27-Apr-2012 By Elaine Watson

Sales of new mid-calorie cola Pepsi NEXT are ahead of expectations, while early feedback suggests it is attracting new consumers - as well as lapsed cola drinkers - into the cola category, PepsiCo has revealed.

Sweet Green Fields plants first commercial stevia crops in North Carolina and Georgia

27-Apr-2012 By Elaine Watson

Sweet Green Fields has scored another industry first with the planting of the first commercial stevia crops in the Southeast United States.

The clean label hierarchy: Xanthan gum? No chance. Guar gum? Borderline. Sugar? Bring it on…

26-Apr-2012 By Elaine Watson

What’s in a name? Everything, when it comes to ‘cleaning’ up ingredients declarations, says National Starch/Corn Products International, which has launched an online hub at cleanlabelinsights.com to collate the latest research and market data to help...

Consumers groups (again) petition FDA to refuse ‘corn sugar’ moniker for HFCS

18-Apr-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

A coalition of consumer groups has written to the FDA urging it to “act decisively” and refuse the Corn Refiners Association’s petition to allow ‘corn sugar’ as an alternative name for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) on ingredient lists.

Tate & Lyle: Our sucralose technology ‘cannot be matched’ for yield and sustainability

12-Apr-2012 By Elaine Watson

Tate & Lyle’s continuous production process for sucralose trumps rivals’ in the efficiency and sustainability stakes, while patents covering key elements of the new process “go out well into the next decade”, according to IP boss Chris Darwen.

Sucralose: Can Tate & Lyle keep its first-mover advantage?

11-Apr-2012 By Elaine Watson

For a long time, Tate & Lyle had the sucralose market to itself. It discovered it, patented it to the hilt, and perfected the manufacturing process at plants capable of producing it on an industrial scale.

Interview, James Blunt, senior VP, product management and marketing, Tate & Lyle

Finding the sweet spot: Sucralose in an evolving sweeteners market

11-Apr-2012 By Elaine Watson

It’s not as sexy as stevia, and not as cheap as aspartame, but sucralose continues to press food formulators’ buttons, and demand is still growing – fast - says market leader Tate & Lyle.

Exclusive interview, Mark Huber, plant manager, Tate & Lyle, McIntosh, Alabama

Sweet Home Alabama: Tate & Lyle is back in business at original US sucralose plant

10-Apr-2012 By Elaine Watson

In spring 2009, employees at Tate & Lyle’s sucralose factory in McIntosh, Alabama, got some grim news. The site – the first in the world to produce sucralose on an industrial scale - was being mothballed, with production shifting to T&L’s new...

Different processes, lower cost, better taste: Is stevia still on track for mainstream success?

30-Mar-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Taste issues and high cost repeatedly have been raised as possible obstacles to widespread acceptance of stevia-derived sweeteners, but one of the many new suppliers entering the market claims that these are no longer the hurdles they once were.

Study flags up texture challenges for sweeteners in baked goods

29-Mar-2012 By Nathan Gray

The use of alternative low-calorie, high-intensity, sweeteners in bakery products has to face several important challenges in terms of texture before it can effectively replace sugars, say researchers.

Are all-natural claims worth the risk?

26-Mar-2012 By Elaine Watson

The threat of civil litigation is now so great that food manufacturers using any ingredients not found in ‘Grandma’s kitchen cupboard’ should think twice about making ‘all-natural’ claims on pack, according to one firm specializing in food label compliance.

‘Corn sugar’ LA hearing: Who are the defendants in HFCS lawsuit?

21-Mar-2012 By Elaine Watson

Attorneys for the Sugar Association and the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) went head to head at federal judge Consuelo Marshall's courtroom in Los Angeles at noon today as the dispute over the CRA’s right to describe high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)...

Monk fruit sweetener firm: ‘We hear daily that people are looking for alternatives to stevia’

20-Mar-2012 By Elaine Watson

It might not have garnered as much publicity as stevia, but monk fruit (luo han guo) “has found a niche within the all-natural market but will hit mass market sooner than stevia in this space”, according to one leading supplier.

Erythritol crystals may enhance flavor encapsulation: Firmenich

19-Mar-2012 By Stephen Daniells

Encapsulating flavors in erythritol crystals may offer food formulators a delivery system with unique performance characteristics, according to ongoing development from Firmenich.

Nature’s One CEO savages ‘flawed’ baby formula arsenic study, but author defends work

16-Mar-2012 By Ben Bouckley

US organic baby formula manufacturer Nature’s One has attacked recent research suggesting that arsenic levels in its toddler formulas were a cause for concern, but the study’s lead author defended the work, even stating that new data published by the...

Steviol glycosides are not ‘all-natural’, says new class action lawsuit

16-Mar-2012 By Elaine Watson

A class action lawsuit filed in California this week argues that steviol glycosides should not be considered natural, owing to the "chemical processing" sometimes used to extract them from the stevia leaf.

PepsiCo draws fire for alleged ‘crass commercial’ choice of profit over public health

15-Mar-2012 By Ben Bouckley

Leading US nutrition expert Professor Marion Nestle says that PepsiCo’s decision to invest around $500m on marketing ‘megabrands’ she describes as unhealthy was a ‘crass commercial decision’, but the firm insisted that ‘health and wellness’ was crucial...

ABA attacks study linking sugar-sweetened drinks to heart disease

14-Mar-2012 By Ben Bouckley

The American Beverage Association (ABA) has questioned the validity of a new US study suggesting that guzzling drinks flavoured with sugar could have an adverse effect upon heart disease risk.