PureCircle Opens European Headquarters, Signs UK Distribution Agreement With Prinova

With European approval for high purity stevia ingredients expected by the end of this year, PureCircle has stepped up its application support for customers preparing for launches across Europe.

Sep 8 2011 --- PureCircle, the world’s leading producer and marketer of high purity stevia products, has announced a significant expansion of its European presence with the opening of a new European headquarters in London and the signing of a UK distribution agreement with Prinova Europe (formerly known as Premium Ingredients Int’l).

With European approval for high purity stevia ingredients expected by the end of this year, PureCircle has stepped up its application support for customers preparing for launches across Europe. France, which has led the EU with a temporary approval for high purity stevia sweeteners, has experienced rapid growth in stevia awareness and early market adoption in the low calorie sweetener category. Similar activity is anticipated across Europe, including the UK which is one of the largest markets for sweeteners in Europe.

Commenting on the recent expansion, Jordi Ferre, President of PureCircle’s Commercial Division said, “PureCircle recognized early on the European Union’s potential for rapid growth, and responded by establishing strong joint ventures with leading sugar producers. We are now pleased to take another important step by establishing PureCircle’s new business entity in the UK. Our direct UK presence will enable us to partner with customers across Europe. Sales, marketing, and application support will all be available through the UK operations further demonstrating PureCircle’s industry leading ability to provide solutions to customers throughout product development stages.

PureCircle’s UK reach will be further extended through the new distribution agreement with Prinova which builds on the existing successful distribution relationship the two companies have already established in the US market.

Stevia is now being grown for PureCircle in more than 15 countries across South America, Africa, Asia, and the United States; it provides a sustainable cash crop for rural farming communities in each region. As part of its leadership of the stevia industry, PureCircle has pioneered the industry trust mark Stevia PureCircle that educates consumers about the benefits of Stevia and provides a strong base of trust for both consumers and Food & Beverage companies alike. PureCircle’s global headquarters are in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. PureCircle shares are traded on the LSE AIM index.