Stevia industry’s highest ever Reb A yield harvested by China-based Howtian

27 Sep 2022 --- Howtian, a supplier and producer of stevia, has achieved up to 12% average Reb A yield this season – the highest ever in the industry and a significant turning point as stevia costs approach parity with artificial sweeteners.

The China-based company has revealed this milestone as it commits to creating natural, accessible food and nutrition products for the masses.

With a production capacity of 8,000 metric tons, Howtian is the largest stevia manufacturer in the world.

Testing and scaling for mass production
Ten years ago, the average Reb A yield of the stevia plant was about 4% and had increased to about 7% over the years, says Tom Fuzer, vice president of market strategy at Howtian. 

“We are delighted to announce that this season, we have achieved a minimum of 9.5% Reb A yield, with some plants as high as 12% average yield, which is the highest ever seen in the stevia industry,” he explains.

This accomplishment is groundbreaking for food and beverage manufacturers who could not justify stevia’s more expensive price tag – historically six to 15 times the cost of artificial sweeteners. 

Thanks to the company’s newest stevia variants, the cost of use of stevia is quickly approaching equivalence with traditional artificial sugar substitutes.

“Companies once compelled by cost constraints to choose artificial sweeteners now no longer need to compromise. We anticipate the adoption of stevia to accelerate significantly in the most price-sensitive markets, including beverages, snacking and sports nutrition,” notes Fuzer.

“We are proud to be at the forefront of the industry and to lead the innovations that’ll drive mass market adoption of natural ingredient solutions like stevia.”

Howtian is the largest stevia manufacturer in the world.Project Shennong 
Zhu Liping founded the company in 1999. Through his travels and remote explorations, he understood nature as the answer to everything and believed its benefits shouldn’t be limited to those with greater means. 

This philosophy remains intact decades later. It was the driving force behind the founding of Howtian’s stevia ventures in 2009 and the drive for Project Shennong.

According to Howtian, Project Shennong was inspired by the mythological Chinese ruler Shennong Shi. Known as the “Divine Farmer” and celebrated as the father of Chinese medicine, the ancient ruler taught his people new agricultural practices, herbal drug remedies, and the importance of healthier lives.

Project Shennong began when different steviol glycoside processing technologies were emerging worldwide. In this growth period, however, Howtian saw many divert from the natural-leaf extraction technology and start to compromise the naturalness of their manufactured stevia for cost savings.

Howtian decided to set themselves apart and offer solutions that keep natural principles at the forefront while also achieving an affordable cost by investing in R&D to develop higher steviol glycoside yielding plant varieties. 

In similar industry advancements, Sweegen recently observed growing stevia and brazzein appetite as reduced sugar confectionery diversifies. With today’s stevia technology, confectionery manufacturers can now make indulgent, better-for-you products with less sugar and low calories, explains Casey McCormick, VP of global innovation at Sweegen.

Edited by Elizabeth Green