PureCircle debuts branded range of stevia-sweetened ice creams

Stevia sweeteners producer PureCircle is launching a branded range of zero-added-sugar ice creams in Chicago.

The ice creams will be available in four flavours – vanilla, chocolate, coffee and salted caramel – as well as a vegan fruit-flavoured frozen dessert. 

PureCircle said the launch of the range demonstrates its confidence in the taste of its next-generation non-GMO stevia sweeteners, which are said to have “a clean, sugar-like taste and work well across multiple consumer product categories”. 

The new ice cream offerings will be available in 5.3oz mini-cups and pints at launch. As they are sweetened with stevia, the ice creams contain no artificial sweeteners.

As of this week, the products, which feature the PureCircle name on the labels, will be sold from food trucks at various locations across Chicago.

PureCircle CEO Maga Malsagov said: “We have worked hard to develop and commercialise our next-generation stevia leaf sweeteners. To demonstrate our confidence in their great taste, we are putting our name on this delicious ice cream. 

“We hope folks in Chicago will drop by a PureCircle ice cream truck to taste our new ice cream and to savour what our next-generation stevia can do in food and beverage products.”

Last year, PureCircle announced it had identified proteins, soluble fibres and antioxidants in the stevia plant, enabling it to use much more of each stevia leaf.

According to Mintel research, the number of new products launched using stevia globally grew last year by 31%, roughly three times the growth rate in 2017.