Product launches with stevia nearly tripled in 2018, says PureCircle

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The number of new products worldwide using stevia grew more than 31% in 2018, reports the leading stevia producer PureCircle (Chicago, IL), based on data collected by Mintel Group Ltd. Compared to the 11% increase that occurred in 2017, this means that the growth rate has nearly tripled. Divided into food and beverages, launches of beverages with stevia increased 36% while launches of foods with stevia increased 27%. Stevia is now the leading high intensity sweetener used in categories such as plant-based beverages, dairy-based ice cream and frozen yogurt, ready-to-drink iced tea, as well as dressings and vinegars.

The data also shows that while stevia has grown dramatically, other zero calorie sweeteners have fallen dramatically. For example, in 2011, stevia was used in 10% of all food and beverage products, while aspartame was found in 36%. However, in 2018 the number of products with stevia made up 29% of food and beverages, while the number of products with aspartame fell to 20%. The regions with the highest percentage of food and beverage launched with stevia are Asia/Pacific with 42%, and Europe with 21%, followed by Latin America, North America and Middle East/Africa.