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 Kelly Frederick, Digital Media Editor
On Dec. 17, 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared that rebaudioside A (reb A), derived from the stevia plant, is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use as a general purpose sweetener at 95% purity or above. Since then, there has been a whirlwind of product development activity as food and beverage manufacturers race to take advantage of the new sweetener’s popularity. Stevia is calorie-free, making it an attractive choice for low- and no-calorie foods, in addition to being natural, which enhances health and wellness benefits of some products. Even before the FDA granted GRAS status, Cargill and Coca-Cola Co. were betting on its success and had introduced their reb A table-top sweetener Truvia into grocery stores in May 2008. Meanwhile, Merisant Co.’s Whole Earth Sweetener unit teamed up with Pepsi and PureCircle to develop PureVia stevia-derived sweetener. However, unlike Cargill and Coke, PureVia didn’t appear until after receiving GRAS status.
 Coke and Pepsi were some of the first companies to introduce finished beverage products containing reb A, which is 250–300 times sweeter than sugar. In that first week after reb A was cleared, Pepsi launched three flavors of SoBe Life Water, while Coke launched a reduced-calorie version of Sprite, called Sprite Green, and two Odwalla juice drinks, containing PureVia and Truvia, respectively. Additionally, Pepsi plans to launch Trop50, a version of its Tropicana orange juice that has 50% less sugar through the use of the sweetener, in March.
 Unlike Coke and Pepsi, many manufacturers were unable to invest money into developing and formulating products using the sweetener until it was approved by the FDA. Now that it has been, many companies are looking into how and whether the material could work in their existing products or new products. As Sidd Purkayastha, Technical Director at PureCircle, explained, “This is now the product development phase, which can last anywhere from nine to 12 months. So, by early 2010 many of these products will start to be introduced to consumers.” Because beverages are a popular market for sugar and calorie reduction, it makes sense for manufacturers to introduce stevia into beverages first. In addition, “Based on the publicity surrounding the FDA’s letter of no objection, the initial interest from our customers was focused on beverages,” said Greg Horn, WILD Flavors’ Senior Director, Sweetener Technology.
 But where can we expect to see the stevia-derived sweetener appearing next? According to Purkayastha, the sweetener is temperature and acid stable, allowing it to be used in a wide range of food and beverage products. For example, he explained that the dairy segment is a good fit for the stevia-derived sweetener because it can enhance the health and wellness aspect of dairy products, while also being natural, which is important for consumers in products such as yogurt. As Mike Size, Givaudan’s Global Head of Beverages, said, “Typical applications might include yogurt, confectionery, cereals, and certain chewing gums.” Interestingly, stevia-derived sweeteners have been used in Japan for more than 30 years in products such as soft drinks, sugarless gums, confections, etc.
 Like other alternative sweeteners such as aspartame, reb A can pose challenges for food scientists in formulation. As Size elucidated, “Reb A has a distinctive taste profile that many people find to be less desirable due to an inherent bitterness. As a result, masking agents are needed in food formulations to improve the sensory attributes. There is also a noticeable change in mouthfeel properties upon removal of sugar along with a different intensity profile over time.” In addition, stevia extracts can have a delayed onset of the sweet taste that then lingers. But as Purkayastha said, “You can’t get everything from a natural product like this. There will always be challenges in the formulation.”
This is where food science and technology step in to modify and address formulation issues and deliver a solution that is appropriate for a specific food application. Some companies are finding that partnerships can help fill in resource and technology gaps while also enabling products to reach the market faster. WILD Flavors recently announced its partnership with Sunwin International Neutraceuticals to sell, market, and distribute Sunwin stevia extracts. In addition, the partnership takes advantage of WILD’s taste modification technologies, flavor creation, and product development expertise to formulate proprietary, natural sweetening blends for food and beverage products. “WILD combines various technologies, including Resolver Technology, to significantly improve the taste profile of the products, including reducing the bitterness and lingering sweetness associated with stevia,” said Horn. Similarly, PureCircle, a producer of reb A, has partnered with Firmenich to capitalize on the flavor company’s expertise in formulation.
Flavor companies are also investing resources in research and development in order to offer food manufacturers the latest science and differentiate themselves from the competition. For example, in Feb., Givaudan announced that it had discovered the bitter taste receptors triggered by reb A. Understanding how bitterness is activated in the mouth with reb A has enabled Givaudan to discover and develop flavor ingredients that specifically block this mechanism.
With health and wellness becoming increasingly important to consumers, and the fact that reb A is a natural choice in a sea of sweeteners, it is apparent why the food and beverage industry is investing resources into developing new products containing reb A. However, the cost of reb A is considerably higher than other sweetener options, leaving many to wonder if the current economic crisis will dampen food manufacturers’ desire to try the new sweetener. In addition, some are questioning the sweetener’s adaptability in a wide range of food products. Will it be a niche sweetener suitable only for specific beverages? Purkayastha doesn’t think this is the case. “We at PureCircle have set ourselves up to be able to meet the increasing demand for reb A, because we believe it is a mainstream sweetener with broad applications.” Ultimately, it is the consumers who must decide if paying a little more for an item containing a natural, zero-calorie sweetener is worth it in such financially dire times.
FDA GRAS letter for Cargill
FDA GRAS letter for Whole Earth Sweetener
Truvia
PureVia
PureCircle teams with Firmenich
Givaudan identifies reb A bitter taste receptor
WILD Flavors partners with Sunwin
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