December 9/PureCircle Press Release -- PureCircle, producer and marketer of stevia products, confirmed the continued expansion of its patent portfolio with the grant of three patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The three patents cover a wide range of process and methods across PureCircle’s entire stevia product portfolio and date back as early as December 21, 2004, which the company claims pre-dates any other published patents relating to commercially viable high-purity stevia manufacturing process or product application.  "As a result," the release notes, "to its customers’  and partners’ benefit, PureCircle is in a strong position to operate freely with its market pioneering processes and defend its patents against any potential infringements across all aspects of the high purity stevia industry."

Specifically, the technologies in these patents establish the process that can be used for manufacturing high purity steviol glycoside extract (SG95) and different components, such as Reb A and Stevioside, that could not be achieved with earlier technology on a commercial scale.  As part of these patents, the processes and methods for developing PureCircle’s highly consistent products such as Reb A 97, SG95 and enzyme treated stevia products are covered, including their usage across the entire breadth of product categories, from food and beverage to cosmetics.

"The approval of all three patents to PureCircle confirms formally the company’s clear scientific leadership in the global high purity stevia industry," the release continued.

Commenting on the publication of the patents, Magomet Malsagov said, "The publication of these patents confirms clearly our prior science across the high purity stevia industry and underpins our global market leadership. The U.S. patent grant is a strong endorsement in PureCircle as the right partner of choice for our strategic customers and sugar partners. PureCircle continues to invest in the science of high purity stevia and we have a strong portfolio of applications in development."

From the December 20, 2010, Prepared Foods E-dition