Pure Circle and Imperial Sugar have  made a joint venture to offer sugar and stevia combinations to food and beverages industries. PureCircle manufactures a natural, high intensity Reb A sweetener derived from the leaves of the stevia plant. It has been positioning the sweetener as a possible complement to sugar for some time, to take advantage of both products’ natural status, meaning that unlike many other sweeteners that could be used to reduce sugar, manufacturers could continue to use a natural claim while cutting calories, as long as the other ingredients in the product are natural.

Natural Sweet Ventures has been created to make use of the technologies and expertise that both companies have developed for sweetening a range of applications.

Natural Sweet will provide both liquid and crystallized sweetener combinations, allowing different levels of calorie reduction according to the application. One of the particular challenges of powdered blends is ensuring an even distribution of Reb A throughout to avoid pockets of intensely sweet stevia, a problem that Natural Sweet claims to have solved through proprietary methods.

The new joint venture has specified dairy, bakery, confectionery and beverages in particular as sectors that could benefit from sugar/stevia blends.

Commenting on the new venture, president and CEO of Imperial Sugar John Sheptor said: “We are delighted to partner with stevia product leader PureCircle to provide an attractive alternative for customers seeking great tasting, naturally sweet solutions. Natural Sweet Ventures will provide customers a sugar option with additional benefits. The creation of Natural Sweet is consistent with our strategy to expand into value-added natural offerings for customers and enhance shareholder value over time.”

Source: confectionerynews.com