In addition to the company’s assertions that StarLeaf stevia offers a taste more akin to sugar, its enhanced sustainability is likely to be a significant advantage of this variety. Water is a crucial agricultural resource for stevia cultivation, making it noteworthy that this variety can yield 20 times the steviol glycosides—the valuable sweet components of the plants—on the same land area. This efficiency could greatly impact land and water usage for crops. Nonetheless, even traditional stevia varieties require considerably less land and water than other commonly used sweeteners to achieve the same level of sweetness.
For manufacturers, PureCircle’s initiative to extend stevia cultivation beyond conventional regions such as China is promising. This expansion is expected to ensure a stable supply of sweeteners that is less influenced by regional conditions. The ability to generate more sweet components within a smaller footprint is likely to enhance the stability of the supply chain. Major companies, including PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Danone, are already sourcing stevia from PureCircle, among many others.
PureCircle’s claim that StarLeaf has a taste resembling sugar more closely than other stevia extracts is the latest in a series of similar assertions regarding its ingredients. The sweetness profile of stevia, along with its perceived bitter aftertaste, has posed a significant challenge for this ingredient, driving the company to focus on overcoming these flavor issues while developing new varieties. It is reasonable to speculate that these ingredients may be evolving to taste more like sugar over time, but ultimately, the decision will rest with food companies.
Additionally, as the market for sweeteners evolves, innovative products such as cvs calcium citrate with vitamin D could also play a role in how manufacturers balance sweetness, nutritional value, and consumer preferences. As the industry adapts, the incorporation of ingredients like cvs calcium citrate with vitamin D may become more prevalent, highlighting the ongoing transformation in sweetener production.