Food and beverage companies are looking for sweetener options to satisfy consumer health without sacrificing great taste. Cargill's answer to this: EverSweet next-generation zero calorie sweetener.

"At a time when many consumers want to reduce sugar consumption and adopt healthier lifestyles, EverSweet sweetener offers a new, delicious choice for reduced and zero calorie food and beverages," says David Henstrom, vice president for health ingredients, Cargill.

EverSweet sweetener is made with the same sweetness found in the stevia leaf, Reb M and Reb D, and provides consumers the great taste they crave with better sweetness intensity, faster sweetness onset and improved sweetness quality – without the bitterness or off-note aftertaste common with other stevia sweeteners.

Because the stevia plant produces only trace amounts of these molecules, using Reb M and Reb D to produce a sweetener hasn't been commercially or environmentally viable until now with fermentation.

Cargill also used the 2015 Supply Side West to talk about its Zerose®, which was approved for use as flavor in beverages with GRAS status from U.S. Flavor & Extract Manufacturers Association

Officials say companies looking for flexible flavor options can now use Zerose® erythritol at up to 1.25% in select beverage categories and label the ingredient as “Natural Flavor.”

The Flavor & Extract Manufacturers Association of the U.S. (FEMA) granted Cargill GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status for Zerose® erythritol for use as a flavor in non-alcoholic beverages. The FEMA GRAS status in the United States is also recognized in Mexico; other geographies are pending.

“Consumers are increasingly concerned about the traceability, sustainability and ‘naturalness’ of food ingredients,” says Pam Stauffer, marketing programs manager at Cargill. “Zerose® erythritol helps beverage manufacturers address these issues by providing a natural flavor to reduce the off-tastes of high-intensity sweeteners and improve mouthfeel without adding calories.”

About Cargill
Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and 150 years of experience. We have 152,000 employees in 67 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work.

www.Cargill.com