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.
"As rising levels of obesity and diabetes continue to dominate
headlines, there has never been so much emphasis on reducing our caloric
intake as well as consuming healthier foods and beverages," commented
Zenith Senior Market Analyst Anya Hembrough.
"After persistent efforts
by key producers, legislators worldwide are finally giving the green
light to this new zero-calorie sweetener".
Originating from Paraguay, where stevia leaf has been valued for
centuries because of its sweetening properties, stevia has been used as a
sweetener in Japan and parts of South America for decades. The high
intensity sweetener offers a sweetening power some three hundred times
that of table sugar, without adding any calories. Widely used as a table
top sweetener, stevia is increasingly being recognised as an ingredient
in finished products - in particular soft drinks - thanks to its
versatility. However, it is the ingredient’s all-natural credentials
which make it stand out from the crowd.
The turning point in stevia's fortunes came in 2008 when steviol
glycosides, the sweetening components of the leaf, were deemed to be
safe and Rebaudioside A, one particular steviol glycoside, was granted
GRAS (Generally Recognised as Safe) status in the United States. Since
then, approval by legislators across the world has opened the door to
new formulations and reformulations of foods and beverages with zero or
reduced calorie content. Its status as a global ingredient was secured
with its incorporation into leading soft drinks brands manufactured by
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.
If the rise in stevia has been impressive to date, the future looks
even more promising, with approval still pending in a number of regions,
and European authorisation widely anticipated for later in 2011.
Zenith forecasts that the global market for stevia will reach 11,000
metric tonnes by 2014, equivalent to US$825 million by value.
For further information, please contact:
Anya Hembrough, Zenith International Ltd
7 Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AB, United Kingdom
t +44 (0)1225 327900 f +44 (0)1225 327901
zenithinternational.com
9:52 PM
Mahadi Bin Mahbol
