KEY INTERVIEW: Steviva Ingredients Sweetens Reduced Sugar Market with Allulose Offering

26 Jan 2016 --- The market for natural sweeteners that serve as a ‘plug-in’ replacement for traditional sugar has grown at an astounding rate in a very short period of time. Since FDA approval as a foodstuff in 2009, stevia, sourced from a plant leaf, has experienced massive growth as a sugar replacement that has almost the same sweetness but just a fraction of the calories. It is also natural, clean label, GMO-free and sustainable, which means that business for US natural sweeteners firm Steviva Ingredients has grown 200-300% year on year since 2010. President & CEO Thom King spoke to FoodIngredientsFirst about how his company has, in his words, “hung in there” during this period of exponential growth.

Steviva marries stevia with a number of other natural sweeteners to offer a broad base of alternatives for food manufacturers depending on their requirements. The sugar replacement industry is largely driven by a demand to reduce calories in light of the obesity epidemic, but the natural element to the industry is driven by the demand for clean label products free of synthetic ingredients.

“The demand for clean label products has driven the business from the beginning,” says King. “As well as providing a clean alternative to sugar, our products can also reduce the need for certain synthetic preservatives, necessary when there is a threat of pathogens. The shelf-stable nature of many of our products increases shelf life, without the need for additional chemicals.”

Another unique feature of Steviva’s offering is the ability to supply sweet coatings such as those used in cereals or baked goods, in a very fine mesh size, and the small particle size means that the product dissolves immediately in the manufacturing process. What is particularly useful, says King, is that the sweetening products can be used in a hot or cold process, which is very unusual.

“This is an important point because it differentiates us from our competitors. A sweetener that dissolves immediately in a cold process, such as cereal bar extrusion, will help with consistency and equal dispersion of product. Often,” King explains, “the alternative would be a liquid sweetener, which brings issues around shelf stability, or a sweetener with a larger particle size, which could lead to inconsistent product.”

As a company that always pushes itself to be at the forefront of new technology and ingredient trends, Steviva has lead the way in supplying natural alternatives to sugar, including Monk fruit and, more recently, allulose.

Allulose is a rare sugar, present in small quantities in some natural products. Steviva’s latest product is called AlloSweet.

AlloSweet is a low-energy monosaccharide sugar derived from enzymatically treated fructose sugar. The sweetness of AlloSweet is 70% of the sweetness of sucrose. AlloSweet+ with stevia (D-allulose and rebaudioside A) is about twice as sweet as sucrose.  Health benefits of AlloSweet and AlloSweet+ may include improved insulin resistance, antioxidant enhancement and formation, and hypoglycemic controls. It is not generally metabolized and its caloric value is significantly lower than table sugar - nearly zero. AlloSweet and AlloSweet+ can benefit consumers who monitor their sugar intake because it does not impact the glycemic response significantly. Both AlloSweet and AlloSweet+ participate in Maillard making them perfect for cooking and baking clean label reduced sugar bars, snacks, doughs, coating and more. And the 100 mesh AlloSweet and AlloSweet+ are perfect for frostings, fillings and fondants.

Steviva is currently supplying its allulose products in liquid form, but King expects a plant supplying it in a crystalline form to be commissioned by the third quarter of 2016. The product is still reasonably unusual (Tate & Lyle began supply of its allulose product, Dolce Prima, in February 2015) and, according to King, is currently supplied at a high price. By supplying in the crystalline form, food manufacturers will be able to use the product as a direct sugar replacer and as the ease of use and functionality becomes clear, then, says King, the price will surely come down.

King says that for Steviva, the US has been the biggest market for natural sweeteners so far, but Europe is not far behind. “The global market, driven by consumer demand, will undoubtedly grow,” he predicts. “We are suffering a global ‘diabesity’ epidemic, and as consumer education and awareness increases, they see that cutting sugar out of the diet is the single best thing one can do to combat the problem. This way we will continue to see the market for natural sweeteners grow.”

This is, of course, good news for Steviva. As a small company that has experienced 200-300% growth year on year, keeping up with demand and growth has been a challenge, but it has just moved into a new facility, where there is significant room for growth.

“In 2015 we made around two million kilograms of sweeteners, which is forecast to grow to over three million kilos in 2016. We have the capacity to grow by a further 25,000 sq ft of production if required but we need to keep a handle on ensuring good manufacturing practice and food safety, on which we have a great record.”

“It’s hectic, but it’s fun. As companies seek out more sugar reduction solutions, we are the go-to company for those solutions and we’ll continue to provide a host of products. Yes, its busy but we hang in there. Really, it’s been a blast!”

by Kelly Worgan