Barcelona, Spain 14 February 2019 – PureCircle (LSE: PURE), the world’s leading producer and innovator of great-tasting stevia sweeteners, shared the latest insights regarding the best tasting stevia leaf sweeteners, functional ingredients and product launch trends at a recent Barcelona event. Speaking at the Non-Alcoholic Beverage Strategy Congress 2019, Olivier Kutz, PureCircle’s Senior Director of Regional Sales for Europe, shared with attendees information on the recent advances in stevia leaf ingredients, and the growth of stevia product launches in Europe during 2018.

In 2018, new product launches with stevia rose +26% overall in Europe when compared to 2017.  Looking at new product launches with stevia in individual categories, exhibiting strong growth were: desserts and ice cream, ready-to-drink beverages and dairy. The data used in this release was provided by Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD)*.

Kutz elaborated on these growth trends in addition to how PureCircle is continuing its stevia industry leadership in supplying great sweetener taste with Reb M.  PureCircle’s Reb M stevia leaf sweetener advances enable it to provide greater scale and cost-savings while maximizing taste in customers’ zero- and reduced-calorie food and beverage products. PureCircle pioneered these sugar-like, plant-based, non-GMO ingredients from the stevia leaf.  PureCircle has also developed and will start selling protein, fiber and antioxidants from the stevia leaf.

PureCircle provided conference attendees samplings of zero-added-sugar products featuring Reb M as the principal sweetener.  They included a no sugar added enhanced pear water, lemon lime soda and an orange juice drink.

The story of stevia is evolving.  Not long ago, it was viewed as a plant-based, zero-calorie, single-ingredient sweetener which worked well in some beverage and food applications. Today we offer a range of stevia leaf sweetener ingredients, including Reb M, with sugar-like taste and zero calories. Food and beverage companies have an increasing need for just such an ingredient, because consumers, health experts and governments have become increasingly concerned about obesity and diabetes, and consumers have become increasingly health and wellness conscious.  And, now, we are expanding our offerings to include, not just sweeteners and flavors, but also protein, fiber and antioxidant ingredients – all from the stevia plant.

* The data in this release reflects new product launches from the full calendar year 2018 compared to 2017, and was extracted from the Mintel Global New Products Database in February 2019.

Media may direct inquiries to:

Carolyn Clark, Head of Global Marketing

Email: carolyn.clark@purecircle.com  Phone: +1 (630) 517 0812

Jackson Pillow, Media Relations Manager

Email: jackson.pillow@purecircle.com 

Phone: +1 (630) 256 8394