Heartland Food Products, which owns Splenda sweeteners, has announced its plans to invest in stevia farming and production in the US.
The company plans to forge partnerships with farmers to grow high-quality, high-value stevia plants in the US, with hopes to be in production by June 2021.
“We are passionate about bringing the best products to market, and for us, that includes sourcing directly from US farmers. We’re putting out this call for interested farmers because we know this is good for farmers and good for our loyal Splenda Stevia users,” said Ted Gelov, chairman & CEO of Heartland.
Building on a decade of research, the Splenda Stevia produced by these plants will be high-grade and focus on sugar-like glycosides to ensure a clean tasting, zero-calorie sweetness.
Stevia has the potential to yield significant value and could grow particularly well in the southern regions of the US.
“Stevia has the potential to be an important US agricultural crop,” Gelov continued. “We are in the process of developing partnerships with farmers interested in growing stevia and value its importance in the fight against obesity and diabetes by providing an all-natural zero-calorie alternative to sugar for consumers.”
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