Stevia poised to hit the sweet spot in the war on sugar
The herb, that is 200 times sweeter than sugar, is now a $4bn global industry — used in everything from Coca-Cola to toothpaste, but the flavour needs fixing...
London — Over the past decade, a little-known herb, 200 times sweeter than sugar, has become a $4bn global industry, showing up in everything from Coca-Cola sodas to Heinz ketchup. Not a bad start for a product that many people still think has a bitter aftertaste. The stevia plant, which can be processed into a zero-calorie sweetener, has taken off as a sugar alternative. Consumption tripled from 2011 through 2016, according to data from researcher Euromonitor International. While it’s still a small part of sweetener sales, companies such as Cargill and ED&F Man are investing in it more — including to improve the taste. "This is a market that has huge growth potential," says Jonathan Hugh, head of the agri-industrial division at London-based commodity trader ED&F Man, which has a stake in the stevia-based Unavoo Sweetener. "We see a lot of investment opportunities." Finding a low-calorie sugar substitute that doesn’t alter the taste of iconic brands has been a long-time quest in the...
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