PureCircle has expanded the production of its zero-calorie Reb D and Reb M stevia sweeteners after developing two new production methods.
PureCircle claims that the Reb D and Reb M sweeteners have the most ‘sugar-like’ taste of any stevia-derived sweeteners, but the two strains are only available in small amounts in conventional stevia plants.
However, the company claims it has drastically increased the production capacity of these two strains after it developed two new methods to extract these products in large quantities.
Firstly, the manufacturer’s Starleaf stevia contains greater amounts of both Reb D and Reb M than conventional stevia plants, and the brand is now looking to drastically increase production of these plants, allowing further production of Reb D and Reb M sweeteners.
Secondly, the manufacturer claims it has found a new method of developing both Reb D and Reb M from the more abundant Reb A strain during the stevia production process, allowing PureCircle to produce greater quantities of the sweeteners for clients in the food and beverage industries.
Both variants are classified as non-GMO and have been GRAS (generally recognised as safe) certified by the US Food and Drug Administration, meaning the zero-calorie sweeteners are suitable for use in food and drink products for the US market.
PureCircle CEO Maga Malsagov said: “large-scale volumes (of Reb D and Reb M) are now available at attractive prices,” adding that the products are “consistently of the highest quality.”
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