Steviol Glycoside Insight

Stevia leaf extracts bring sweetness derived from the stevia leaf to a new level with great tasting reduced and zero calorie solutions for food and beverage manufacturers.

Stevia leaf extracts are becoming the high intensity sweetener of choice for new reduced sugar and calorie product innovations. In 2012, stevia-based sweeteners were used in more new beverage launches that any other high potency sweetener. (Source: Innova database).  In many applications, however, manufacturers find that they can’t reach their sugar reduction targets when they use stevia leaf extracts at higher usage levels, and they struggle to get to the optimal taste and sweetness levels they need to deliver products that win with consumers.

To find a solution for our customers, Cargill decided to dig into the science of sweetness. Researchers studied the sweet components of the stevia leaf which are called steviol glycosides. The stevia leaf has more than 70 different steviol glycosides, and Cargill researchers knew that the answer to sweetness optimization was in understanding how different steviol glycosides interacted to deliver taste and sweetness. Building on their deep knowledge of  steviol glycosides and food research capabilities, Cargill scientists developed a proprietary taste-prediction model that can precisely predict which combination of steviol glycosides delivers optimal taste and sweetness.

The great tasting stevia leaf extracts in the ViaTech® portfolio are the result of studying and unlocking the secrets of how these steviol glycosides act alone and in combination – at a molecular level and at a sensory level. Using its proprietary taste-prediction model, Cargill harnesses the best tasting steviol glycosides to maintain a high performance sweet taste, reduce off-notes, and deliver a commercially viable cost-in-use.

Great taste is the number one driver of consumer purchase. Cargill’s portfolio of ViaTech® products expands the opportunities for using stevia leaf extracts by enabling customers to achieve significant sugar and calorie reductions in challenging products like carbonated soft drinks. Cargill has precisely designed its ViaTech® stevia leaf extracts to deliver a clean, sweet taste at very high use levels.

With the ViaTech® portfolio, Cargill is committed to delivering continuous innovation in stevia leaf extracts to provide our customers with a range of products that enables deeper calorie and sugar reduction across a variety of product applications.