SweeGen’s Reb E stevia sweetener approved as a food additive in Australia and New Zealand

29 Jul 2020 --- Food Standards Australia, New Zealand (FSANZ) has assessed and approved SweeGen’s Bestevia Reb E stevia sweetener as a food additive. Under the Food Standards Code, FSANZ has approved a new specification for the steviol glycoside Rebaudioside E, produced by SweeGen’s proprietary stevia leaf-based bioconversion process. This decision builds on previous approvals by FSANZ in 2019 for SweeGen’s Bestevia Rebs D and M, according to the sugar reduction solutions company.

“The approval comes at a great time because brands want access to the best tasting non-GMO zero-calorie stevia sweeteners available to satisfy consumers without compromising taste. The region now joins North America in regulatory status, where SweeGen’s Rebs D, E and M are highly sought-after scalable stevia sweeteners,” says Lewis Tessarolo, Senior Director of Business Development, Asia-Pacific.

“The sensory performance and taste are dynamic, and classified in the industry as ‘next generation’ stevia sweeteners,” he adds.

With this new approval, food and beverage manufacturers in the region now have greater access to SweeGen’s Bestevia e+ Taste Solutions portfolio.

This taste and sweetener platform offers sugar reduction solutions for applications including beverages, dairy, confectionery, bakery and sauces. 

Bestevia e+ Taste Solutions deliver one of the industry’s most cost-efficient, great tasting, and complete solutions for reducing sugar, notes SweeGen.

The taste and performance benefits of SweeGen’s Bestevia Reb B add up to great value for F&B manufacturers because of the price equivalent to sugar. It is scalable, non-caloric, and sustainable, making it an attractive natural sweetener to use in products.

Consumers who are adopting health and wellness lifestyles are looking to make better choices for themselves and their families, notes the company, while awareness of obesity and diabetes prevention habits is driving consumers to seek products with great taste containing less or no sugar.

“Achieving FSANZ approval for Rebaudioside E shows our clear commitment to delivering a wide range of sweetness and taste solutions for customers in the region,” adds Tessarolo. “With the growing health awareness among consumers, coupled with government health initiatives to curb obesity and diabetes, SweeGen can help brands obtain the sugar reduction they need.”

SweeGen says that it continues to focus on application technology, taste modulation expertise and regional consumer trends in order to meet the high demand for unique sugar reduction solutions in the nature-based sweetener space.

Edited by Gaynor Selby