 |
Food and beverages rich in sugar has been blamed in part for rising weight-related health issues including obesity, diabetes and high-blood pressure. Closer to home, the United Arab Emirates is considered to have the second highest diabetes rate in the world, and this is growing alarmingly at 18.7 per cent a year.
Wide-spread access to the media and information online has raised awareness among consumers and driven the search for healthier alternatives. When it comes to the sweet stuff, Stevia seems to be the preferred choice as it a natural derivative and also safe for diabetics.
Stevia has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity on the global stage over the past four years. A new study by leading food and drink consultancy Zenith International estimates that worldwide sales of stevia reached 3,500 metric tonnes in 2010, a 27% increase on 2009, taking its overall market value to US$285 million. Its status as a global ingredient was secured with its incorporation into leading soft drinks brands manufactured by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.
Getting to the root of Stevia
Stevia rebaudina is a plant whose leaves produce extractable steviol glycosides. The sweetening strength of this pure natural sweetener is around 300 times greater than that of sugar. Stevia has been used as a sweetener in Japan and part of South America for decades. Stevia has been favoured among health-conscious due its negligible effect on blood glucose and low calorie level – increasing its value as a natural sweetener.
No degradations or changes have also been noted during UHT processing or in high temperatures making it also safe for aseptic processing.
Consumers’ interest has already been aroused
But what do consumers think of the new sweetener? Döhler Consumer & Sensory Science has carried out an online survey (with 201 participants) to allow them to estimate the success of products sweetened with stevia in advance. The results of this study make it clear that there is interest in stevia among consumers, especially due to its naturalness. However, consumers also expect not to have to make any trade-offs in terms of sensory properties. According to the survey, the challenge is to win over consumers with products with impeccable sensory profiles from the very start.
Natural and low-in-calories: a winning concept
Beverage applications with stevia are extremely complex, since the typical liquorice after-taste is perceived with varying degrees of intensity depending on the product. It has proved difficult to replace the amount of sugar the industry had originally hoped for, up to 10 Brix, since this often significantly affects the sensory properties. When stevia is used, the entire recipe must be adapted in order to achieve a product with the ideal sensory qualities. This is especially important to regions where consumers are conscious about their health but would not like compromise on the taste as well.
Döhler has developed a whole range of sweeteners with superior sensory qualities under the MultiSweet® Stevia brand. MultiSweet® Stevia can replace 5-6° Brix of sugar, depending on the product application, thus fulfilling two important consumer desires: it contains almost 0 calories while also being 100 % natural.
In September 2010, Döhler entered into a strategic partnership with PureCircle. PureCircle is the world’s leading producer and marketer of natural stevia sweeteners with a high degree of purity. In the future, the Döhler Group and PureCircle are planning to target their R&D programmes together towards the new and ongoing development of stevia-based ingredients and ingredient systems.
If you would like more information on Stevia based recipes or have any questions in concern with the natural sweetener, please contact us at info.cbob@sig.biz
References:
www.doehler.com/en/home
www.zenithinternational.com