Cargill Partners with Silver Spoon to Take Stevia Product to UK

The partnership brings together the leading sugar brand in the UK, Silver Spoon, and Truvia sweetener, the stevia sweetener innovation developed and pioneered by Cargill.

1/26/2011 --- Two leaders in sweetness, Silver Spoon, part of Associated British Foods, and Cargill, have announced an exclusive strategic partnership for UK distribution and marketing of Truvia branded tabletop, the first stevia-based, zero calorie sweetener. This announcement comes ahead of anticipated EU approval of stevia extracts later this year and heralds the UK's first taste of an entirely new sweetener category - zero calorie sweetness from the leaves of the stevia plant. In April 2010 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a Scientific Opinion confirming that steviol glycosides, sweeteners extracted from the stevia plant, are safe for use in foods and beverages.

After only two years on the US market, the Truvia brand has become the number one stevia-based sweetener, and opened a new category of sweetness. This innovation attracted new consumers to the market and grew a previously stagnant retail sweetener category by 18 percent. As such, it has become the third best-selling of all the non-sugar sweeteners - a market currently valued at $685 million (GBP434 million) in the U.S. - overtaking Merisant's Equal (aspartame) - Canderel in Europe - for the past 12 months. Latest figures value the UK market for low calorie sweeteners at GBP50 million.

The partnership brings together the leading sugar brand in the UK, Silver Spoon, and Truvia sweetener, the stevia sweetener innovation developed and pioneered by Cargill. The combined strengths of Silver Spoon's extensive retail knowledge and marketing expertise and Cargill's leading U.S. product are expected to result in Truvia sweetener quickly capturing consumer interest in the UK. On receipt of regulatory approval, the product will be available through the Silver Spoon network to all major UK supermarkets, restaurants, hotels and other food distribution outlets.

Silver Spoon will jointly market the product with Cargill, building brand awareness through advertising and in-store programmes. Under the terms of the partnership, the sweetener will be co-branded with the Silver Spoon and Truvia logos appearing on packaging.

Tony Lucas, Marketing Director of Silver Spoon said: "The introduction of stevia-based sweeteners to the UK market will be one of the most significant category developments in this country in years. As the number one supplier to the UK retail sugar and sweetener market, we are excited to bring this new innovation to our retailers and UK consumers. The partnership with Cargill and the Truvia brand will help us achieve this goal."

Truvia is the brand name for a great-tasting, naturally derived, zero calorie sweetener made with rebiana, the best-tasting part of the stevia leaf. Cargill was the first to develop, introduce and market this new category of sweetness beginning in 2008 with U.S. regulatory acceptance. Truvia sweetener provides consumers with a new choice to manage sugars and calories in their diets and offers a new option for overall well-being. The Truvia consumer product has a unique crystalline form and proprietary natural flavour system. Cargill manages its stevia supply chain from field to table and uses its formulation expertise to bring consumers the optimum taste in naturally derived zero calorie sweetness.

Zanna McFerson, assistant vice president, Cargill Health & Nutrition and director, Truvia Enterprise said: "This partnership is a significant and exciting milestone in anticipation of the European market entry for the Truvia brand. Cargill has a long history of working with Associated British Foods, making Silver Spoon our number one choice of partner for bringing Truvia tabletop sweetener to consumers in the UK."

Truvia rebiana, the ingredient, is also driving growth and innovation in food and drink products with more than 100 industry leaders actively partnering with Cargill to develop new products.