10 May 2012 --- Food and confectionary manufacturers in North America are looking for safe, healthy, affordable sugar substitutes. Nova Green Inc. is about to sweeten the pot.

NovaGreen, an Alberta-based specialty refinery that aims to make high-value nutritional and environmental products from low-value agricultural biomass, will begin the production of xylitol over the next 24 months.

A naturally occurring sugar substitute, xylitol is roughly as sweet as sucrose with only two-thirds of the calories. Because it cannot be utilized by bacteria to form cavities, this healthy natural sweetener is highly coveted in making sugar-free chewing gum and other dentalfriendly products. It’s also safe for diabetics and pre-diabetics, and an excellent mass-market substitute for sugar in many confectionary and dairy products.

“North American food producers look primarily to China or Europe for their xylitol requirements,” says NovaGreen CEO Barry Farquharson. “NovaGreen will provide a domestically available product source that provides a consistently high-quality product for their high-demand functional food solutions.”