WILD Creates Turnkey Solutions for Natural Stevia

Sunwin stevia gives manufacturers turnkey solutions featuring natural stevia from a single source, and it enables them to develop low-sugar or zero-calorie foods and beverages so they can launch their products which contain stevia quickly as soon as the anticipated EU approval is final.

25 May 2010 ---- WILD is now offering the industry Sunwin stevia top-quality natural stevia sweeteners with great taste thanks to WILD's "Taste Modification Technology." WILD Flavors, Inc. has significantly invested in stevia manufacturer Sunwin International, which allows WILD to monitor the entire production process and thus guarantee the outstanding quality of the sweetener. Sunwin stevia gives manufacturers turnkey solutions featuring natural stevia from a single source, and it enables them to develop low-sugar or zero-calorie foods and beverages so they can launch their products which contain stevia quickly as soon as the anticipated EU approval is final.

Interest in stevia a natural, zero-calorie sweetener is growing both in the industry and among consumers in Europe, due in part to the statement issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on April 14, 2010. The statement said that stevia sweeteners with a steviol glycoside content of at least 95% were deemed to be safe for use in foods. "Early on, we expected a positive EFSA opinion saying that stevia is a safe ingredient in food, and correspondingly we put all of our efforts into developing our stevia portfolio," says Peter Naylor, WILD's Director of Strategic Business Development. WILD utilizes its "Taste Modification Technology" to enhance premium-quality stevia extracts; this combined approach permits the company to be among the first to offer turnkey solutions for a wide range of stevia-sweetened foods such as beverages, confectionery and baked goods.

WILD Flavors, Inc.'s stake in Sunwin International gives WILD clear-cut advantages. "We were able to start refining the flavor profile of Sunwin stevia sweeteners early on. In doing so, we discovered that our natural "Taste Modification Technology" is ideal for eliminating the undesired licorice-like and somewhat bitter aftertaste that stevia naturally has," states Peter Naylor. Manufacturers benefit, since they can use Sunwin Stevia to launch excellent-tasting foods and beverages on the European market as soon as the official EU approval is finalized ¬ creating "reduced-calorie, low-sugar or no-sugar alternatives," as Peter Naylor says of the many options which WILD gives the industry.

Sunwin stevia sweeteners contain differing levels of steviol glycosides. This enables WILD to respond to manufacturers' needs on an individual basis and offer flexible cost calculations. Steviol glycosides occur naturally in the leaves of the stevia plant and give them their sweetening properties. A substance known as Rebaudioside A is considered one of the most important steviol glycosides because of its particularly good sensory properties. Sunwin stevia sweeteners are currently available with Rebaudioside A contents of 60%, 80%, 95% or 98%, depending on the client's preference. All of these products meet the 95% steviol glycoside standards of the JECFA (Joint FAO / WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives) and other national authorities as well as the current EFSA opinon.

Because of WILD Flavors, Inc.'s stake in Sunwin International, WILD has not only secured itself steady access to stevia, it can also monitor every part the manufacturing process ¬ "from the leaf to the finished product, as a liquid or in powdered form," Peter Naylor summarizes. Correspondingly, WILD is able to guarantee the highest level of purities in Sunwin stevia.

In the US, Sunwin and WILD Flavors, Inc. have received an official letter of no objection from the Food and Drug Administration for all Sunwin stevia sweeteners. This confirms both the safety and the excellent quality of these stevia products.

According to current estimates, around 150 million people across the globe use stevia every day. In the US, the natural sweetener has attained a self-affirmed GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status. In Japan, Russia, Australia, New Zealand and Brazil, stevia has been approved as a sweetener. This is also the case in France, which is currently the only state in the EU to permit use of stevia. In France, manufacturers are allowed to market products which are sweetened with stevia if it contains at least 97% Rebaudioside A. In the European Union, approval for stevia is still pending. However, the positive scientific opinion by the EFSA on April 14, 2010 was a major step in the right direction. WILD anticipates official EU approval in 2011.