Ingredion has announced that it has invested in the expansion of daughter company PureCircle’s stevia production facility in Malaysia, boosting its capacity as the largest-scale operator for stevia ingredients sourced from bioconversion.
 
This expansion will quadruple PureCircle’s capacity for bioconversion-derived stevia ingredients, designed to replace sugar and artificial sweeteners across multiple food and beverage categories.
 
“Food and beverage brands are prioritizing the removal of sugar and artificial sweeteners in product reformulation,” said Nate Yates, global platform lead for sugar reduction at Ingredion. “Historically, brands have had limited access to the best-tasting stevia leaf solutions at scale. This significant investment in the production capacity to produce stevia ingredients, like Reb M and other better-tasting steviol glycosides, unlocks deeper sugar reduction possibilities and optimized taste performance for companies of all sizes.”
 
Earlier this year, Ingredion announced the launch of its PureCircle Clean Taste Solutions, which provide clean-tasting sweetness across several categories including beverages, dairy, tea, coffee, sports nutrition, bakery, confectionary, savory, sauces, and dressings. The expansion of the Malaysia facility will increase the availability of these finished ingredients for brands to formulate with.
 
PureCircle offers a range of non-GMO, stevia-derived sweeteners, which can be combined with Ingredion’s portfolio of functional ingredients, flavorings, and modifying properties to tailor taste and texture performance, to develop new sugar reduction possibilities.
 
Ingredion’s consumer research finds that 76% of consumers find limiting sugar important for their health, and two thirds of consumers are willing to pay more for food and beverage products, which help them achieve their goals related to sugar intake.