Tate & Lyle, the food ingredients and solutions provider, has revealed a new way to sweeten food and beverage products with Tasteva, a Reb M stevia sweetener.
Tasteva, like many other stevia sweeteners, is sourced from the stevia leaf and has up to 200-300 times the sweetness of sugar. This new ingredient will widen the options brands can consider to create better tasting sugar-free and reduced-sugar food and beverages.
Abigail Storms, global vice president and sweeteners platform leader at Tate & Lyle, said: “Creating healthier products is no longer optional. Tasteva M stevia sweetener will help food and beverage companies reach their consumers in ways never imagined possible. It’s another tool in their toolbox to create better foods and beverages with less sugar and fewer calories, ultimately helping consumers achieve their health and wellness goals.”
According to the 2016 food and health survey conducted by the International Food and Information Council Foundation, for consumers, taste is a main driving force for purchase decisions when it comes to food and drink. The introduction of Tasteva to the Tate & Lyle portfolio responds to this purchase motivation, as the sweetener retains the low-calorie status of food and drink without impacting on taste.
Tate & Lyle say Tasteva ‘minimises the need’ for masking ingredients as it has less of a bitter, liquorice aftertaste many consumers report having when eating or drinking stevia sweetened products. As Tasteva diminishes the need for masking ingredients, this will reduce ingredient costs further.
In terms of the cost in use of Tasteva, Tate & Lyle said: “As a result of the bio-conversion process, Tate & Lyle is able to provide an acceptable cost in use while still delivering a clean, sugar-like taste.”
Andrew Taylor, president of innovation and commercial development at Tate & Lyle, said: “As a global leader for sweeteners, we’re committed to delivering innovative solutions that enable formulators to create higher-quality, better-tasting products at an acceptable cost in use.
“This allows manufacturers to create products to address the needs of consumers who want to make healthier choices by reducing sugar and calorie intake without compromising taste.”
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