Wild Develops New Concepts as India Approves Steviol Glycosides

09 Dec 2015 --- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India approved the use of steviol glycosides as a non-nutritive sweetener on November 13, 2015. WILD Flavors & Specialty Ingredients (WFSI) now offers a wide range of appropriate concepts containing less sugar and fitting in a modern life style.

Around the world, most people enjoy sweet treats. The demand for “indulgent” food and beverages is constantly growing, as well as the trend towards “healthy nutrition”. As a result, there is huge sales potential for products which contain less sugar than the originals but still taste good. In response to this development, WFSI has created appropriate solutions, such as products sweetened with stevia extract for the Indian market.

WFSI offers products with different levels of Rebaudioside A so that each manufacturer can select the sweetening system which best complements its products and price point. The ingredients expert has used steviol glycosides in successfully positioning many of its customers' products ? everything from beverages to confectionery.

The stevia plant has a great deal to offer: it contains sweeteners from natural sources and has no calories, which makes it a promising sugar substitute. As great taste expert, WFSI began investing in stevia R&D years ago, and it has developed technologies to master the challenges in handling stevia.

In recent years, WFSI has worked in close conjunction with a trained panel of sensory experts to produce a wide selection of Taste Optimizing solutions. These products not only influence the sweetening profile of products, they can also mask a possible bitter off note. Adding bitter blockers inhibits the appropriate taste receptors in the mouth and reduces bitterness. Natural ingredients which improve the mouthfeel and finish the sweetening profile complement this concept. The experts at WFSI combine different natural taste components to create great tasting products with high consumer acceptance. The Taste Optimizers do not contain any sugar substitutes or sugar alcohols such as erythrite. They can be labeled as “natural flavors” in the finished product. WFSI customizes these functional flavors to each individual product in order to achieve the best possible effect. 

To achieve sustainable success in India, it is essential to have knowledge of the regional market and of flavor preferences. WFSI has decades of experience in product development, knows international as well as local markets and customizes its products to the respective taste favorites. This makes the company compelling to its customers in India as well, including the region's “big players” as well as smaller local manufacturers. Thanks to investments in sites and staff in the last few years, WFSI has greatly expanded its capacity and product portfolio for this important future market.