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Sweet Green Fields Granted First U.S. Patent for Highly Efficient, All Natural Stevia Extraction Process

Date:01 February 2012

Type:Food Ingredients News

Source:Food Ingredients First

Sector:Starch, Sugar & Sweeteners

Summary:Known as the Fast Precipitation Process (FPP), the extraction procedure draws RA out of a mid grade stevia extract and turns it into a highly purified RA powder, of 95% purity grade and higher. Another key differentiator of SGF’s FPP is that it is all natural, relying on a water and food grade ethanol for the extraction, as opposed to methanol or wood alcohol.

Feb 1 2012 --- Sweet Green Fields (SGF), a leading US-based global producer of high purity stevia extracts, today announced it was granted a U.S. patent covering the company’s highly efficient method for extracting Rebaudioside-A (RA). SGF’s proprietary extraction method is 33% to 50% faster than the industry’s conventional methods, resulting in a much more efficient and cost effective process.

Known as the Fast Precipitation Process (FPP), the extraction procedure draws RA out of a mid grade stevia extract and turns it into a highly purified RA powder, of 95% purity grade and higher. Another key differentiator of SGF’s FPP is that it is all natural, relying on a water and food grade ethanol for the extraction, as opposed to methanol or wood alcohol.

“This achievement is the culmination of more than a decade of extensive stevia research by SGF, and to our knowledge, it’s the first one ever granted in the United States on a process for extracting high purity RA,” said Dr. Mel Jackson, SGF’s Vice President of Science and the creator of the patented process. “This patent is significant because prior to this, the stevia industry’s published methods have long relied on methanol as part of the extraction process, and these methods were time consuming and costly.”

Jackson began working on the extraction method in 2001 when there were no commercial all natural methods to produce pure RA, and the patent pre-dates all other pending patent applications pertaining to efficiently producing high purity RA. Thus far, the patent has already withstood the challenge of other claims, as well as significant related art.

“Food and beverage companies are increasingly looking for all natural sweetener options that meet their taste and cost parameters, and our FPP is fast, it’s efficient, and it’s all natural,” commented Dean Francis, Chief Executive Officer of SGF. “Combined, this enables us to deliver a premium quality RA product with superior value to our global food and beverage clients seeking healthy sweetener solutions.”

SGF is an integrated sweetener supplier from seed to final product and has been conducting agricultural, process technology, molecular and formulation research on stevia for over a decade. The issuance of the patent confirms the dedication and excellence of SGF science-based approach to the business, and the company plans to explore possible industry licensing opportunities in the future.

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