Sugar reduction and naturality in ingredients were two pronounced trends at Fi Europe 2019, held in Paris last week, which showcased an array of zero-calorie sweeteners. FoodIngredientsFirst speaks with sweetener suppliers on the show floor who offer insights on scalable solutions for the growing global demand for low and no-calorie solutions in food and beverage applications.
While Innova Market Insights has found that some macronutrients such as fats and certain carbohydrates have made a comeback throughout the years, sugar is consistently demonized and consequently, consumers are cutting their intake.
According to the market researcher’s Consumer Lifestyle and Attitudes Survey 2018, nearly seven out of ten consumers across the countries surveyed (US, UK, France, Germany, China and Brazil) have reduced their sugar intake. However, as consumers seek low-calorie solutions, they are also looking for natural or nutritious substitutes rather than artificial sweeteners.
Regulatory approval for the use of stevia in food and beverages was a win for food manufacturers who could utilize a high-intensity, zero-calorie sweetener with a “back to nature” approach. However, the subsequent high demand for stevia quickly made the ingredient unsustainable, leaving the industry searching for new approaches. “Just a few years ago, many companies were saying anything outside of classical plant extraction was the devil. Many of those players today are moving into bioconversion,” says Luca Giannone, Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Sweegen.

The biggest challenge to classical extraction is getting the high-quality tasting molecules Reb M and Reb D from the stevia leaf. These occur in such small quantities that “you would have to cover the entirety of France to meet the demand,” says Giannone. So when extraction is no longer possible, the question remains: How far away do you go from the plant?
