PureCircle Receives Patent Protection For High Yield Stevia Leaf

The Notice of Allowance is related to a new variety of the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant with a high content of steviol glycosides, the sweet components of the stevia plant extracted to produce high purity stevia ingredients. The new plant variety is commercially grown by PureCircle in several global markets, including Paraguay and Kenya.

3 Aug 2012 --- PureCircle, the world's leading producer and marketer of high purity stevia products announces it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its plant patent application for a new high yield variety of stevia. The Notice of Allowance is related to a new variety of the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant with a high content of steviol glycosides, the sweet components of the stevia plant extracted to produce high purity stevia ingredients.  The new plant variety is commercially grown by PureCircle in several global markets, including Paraguay and Kenya.

Leaf innovation is an integral first stage of PureCircle’s vertically integrated supply chain and is the cornerstone of all upstream innovation.  Proprietary leaf development coupled with agricultural investments support the company’s continued leadership in developing stevia as the next mass scale sweetener.  This U.S. patent, as well as the company’s local plant breeder’s rights, will provide the Company with strong competitive advantage in production efficiency of PureCircle’s entire range of high purity stevia products.

Beyond this patent application, PureCircle has approximately ninety additional patent applications at various stages in the patent review process submitted across global markets, which further the company’s leadership in the stevia industry.

Dr. Avetik Markosyan, Vice President, R&D and Process Development of PureCircle Limited, stated: "This Notice demonstrates PureCircle’s commitment to innovation at each stage of our supply chain.  PureCircle leads the stevia industry with an expansive portfolio of consistent, high quality stevia ingredients produced at mass volume to meet the demands of the world’s leading food and beverage manufacturers. We are pleased to be able to add this plant variety in support of our growing portfolio of proprietary stevia solutions.”