Don’t Be Bitter: Try Stevia Reb M Today

Why Stevia Reb M? The no-calorie, no after-taste product will allow your company to keep up with the market demand without compromising the safety or taste of your products. Read more from Bob Wills, Director of Sales for Food, Beverage and Nutrition for the Market Acceleration Group. 

A Shift Toward the Natural

Over the past two years, the food and beverage industry has rapidly adopted best-practice operational models that focus on healthy, natural food ingredients prized by consumers and industry experts. Companies and suppliers have shifted ingredients to meet the demand for low-sugar, low-calorie products that do not sacrifice taste. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted consumer priorities, making them more aware of the effects that the food they consume has on their overall health. Concerns about diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases have increased. In fact, 73% of consumers agree that they want their grocery products to be 100% natural, according to recent research [1].

If your firm wants to continue growing its market share, you need to be aware of these shifts in consumer priorities and make plans to address them as soon as possible. You can address concerns about added sugar by considering Reb M Stevia as your natural sweetening option.

Reb M is a natural, no-calorie sweetener. More than 80% of U.S. consumers think artificial sweeteners taste worse than sugar, but Reb M has a sweeter taste profile without the bitter licorice aftertaste, as compared to that of Stevia Reb A [2].

The Origins of Reb M Stevia

Reb M is extracted by filtering the sweeteners out of leaves soaked in hot water, but it is also possible to use a proprietary fermentation method to extract the sweetener [3]. This method, however, utilizes genetically engineered yeast in the process and does not include stevia leaves. The final product extracted using this method cannot be labeled “stevia leaf extract.” The yeast used in this process is not present in the final product, which eliminates concerns about the inclusion of GMOs as it relates to the FDA’s GRAS classification.

The precursor to Reb M was Reb A, the first FDA-approved stevia sweetener. As stevia extraction methods advanced, Reb M became the more popular stevia option, as it lacks the bitter aftertaste for which Reb A stevia is known. Though Reb A is preferred for use in specific food items, owed in part to the lower cost, Reb M is more widely applicable as a flavor substitute for sucrose.

Participants in a recent study found that Reb M had lower bitterness and acidity than Reb A but maintained intense sweetness, which is one of the major benefits of this ingredient. Even compared to aspartame, Reb M had a stronger sweet aftertaste though the two sweeteners share the same high potency sweetener flavor profile [2].

Reb M: the Obvious Choice

Reb M is not your average sweetener. Exceptional taste, strong sweetness potential, the absence of calories, and its natural origins make Reb M a must-have for food and beverage producers. In addition to the taste and broad range of applications, Reb M is considered GRAS by the FDA and is approved for use in the U.S., Canada, the EU, Japan, China, Brazil and other countries [4, 5]. We know that safety and sourcing are top priorities when creating products for your customers.

Applications Galore

The benefits of Reb M are plenty. Reb M is 200 to 300 times more potent than sugar, meaning that producers can curtail sugar content while maintaining the quality of the taste [6].

Its low-sugar content means that Reb M has a wide variety of uses and is highly stable in different conditions. Its stability allows the compound to work well in a variety of pH levels. Plus, Reb M can withstand long-term storage and high-temperature manufacturing processes. What products work well with Reb M? Ever-popular iced teas, sports drinks, flavored milk products and other heat-processed beverages are the perfect opportunities to switch to the healthier, seamlessly-blending sweetening ingredient. Even drinking yogurt, a beloved after-school snack for kids, blends well with Reb M [2].

It’s not just drinks that can be sweetened with Reb M. Bakery products, table sweeteners and confectionary items are ideal products for this natural sweetener. Since Reb M is stable in the storage of these products, the sweetness levels are maintained [1, 7].

Reb M combined with other natural sweeteners and sweet amino acids improves the taste of the sweetener itself and lowers energy content, making it well-suited for combination with other calorie-free sweeteners or carbohydrate sweeteners [2].

The Booming Stevia Market

Reb M is found in very low concentrations in the leaves of the Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni plant. This means that Reb M Stevia is extracted in low yields from the Stevia plant and carries a subsequently higher price tag. Despite this, the benefits of Reb M, including its powerful sweetening ability and minimal aftertaste, mean that the ingredient is taking over the market.

The global market for sweeteners comes in at 10 Billion USD. Around $2 billion of this market is estimated to be from stevia products [8]. If you’re looking to join the Reb M formulation club, there’s no better time than now. Stevia’s segment of the market is expected to grow by 8.8% from 2021 to 2028 [9]. By 2025, the stevia market is predicted to reach over $996 million with a growth rate of over 10% [10].

Reb M is expected to grow the most within the stevia industry, and the current typical applications of Reb M—beverages, dairy products and bakery items—are predicted to expand in the food and beverage space [7, 11].

It’s no secret that the supply chain has been disrupted over the past two years, so trying a new ingredient is more daunting than ever. But Reb M’s domestic production is increasing rapidly, making the ingredient easier to access and try in products. Formulating with domestic ingredients, in the long run, is more reliable and less expensive, as continued demand increases market growth and lowers prices. Plus, domestic products are easier to obtain and less susceptible to supply chain issues.

In 2021, North America was anticipated to account for the global stevia market’s largest share, and that’s only expected to continue to grow, especially in the United States. As the market expands, your customers expect you to keep up. Reb M has zero calories and is zero-glycemic. For people with pre-diabetes or diabetes, Reb M doesn’t spike their blood sugar levels, making it a safe and delicious option for sweetening foods or drinks. Diabetes and obesity rates continue to increase in the US, so products that can keep up with the no-sugar demand are increasingly popular. Plus, with health food trends spiking as they are, consumers are more aware of the ingredients in the products they consume. For those that are looking to cut back on sugar and caloric intake, Reb M is a healthier alternative to products sweetened with sucrose.

Why Stevia Reb M? The no-calorie, no after taste product will allow your company to keep up with the market demand without compromising the safety or taste of your products. Domestically produced and shipped in the US, supply chain issues are minimal, so you can get to formulating faster.

References

1. Cowling, W. (2020, January 22). Consumers continue to seek products with natural ingredients. Candy Industry RSS. https://www.candyindustry.com/articles/88953-consumers-continue-to-seek-products-with-natural-ingredients
2. Prakash, I., Markosyan, A., & Bunders, C. (2014). Development of Next Generation Stevia Sweetener: Rebaudioside M. Foods, 3(1), 162–175. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods3010162
3. Poinski, M. (2021, August 12). Will purecane’s fermented reb m get consumers to think differently about sweeteners? Food Dive. https://www.fooddive.com/news/will-purecanes-fermented-reb-m-get-consumers-to-think-differently-about-sw/604808/
4. GRAS Notice for High-Purity Rebaudioside M (GRAS Notice (GRN) No. 1010; pp. 1–112). (2020). Manus Bio Inc. https://www.fda.gov/media/156549/download
5. Pure Stevia Institute. (2018, May 11). Health Canada approves Reb M Stevia for foods & beverages. https://www.purecirclesteviainstitute.com/resources/articles/ingredient-and-regulatory-updates/health-canada-approves-reb-m-extracted-from-the-stevia-leaf-for-foods-and-beverages/
6. Sweet Gen Inc. (2017, September 22). New stevia sweetener BESTEVIA® reb M may disrupt the sugar industry. Foodnavigator. https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/News/Promotional-Features/New-stevia-sweetener-BESTEVIA-R-Reb-M-may-disrupt-the-sugar-industry
7. Sweet Gen Inc. (n.d.). The new sweet taste of sugar reduction. Ingredion. https://www.ingredion.ca/content/ingredion/apac/australia/Ingredients/PRODUCTRANGE/BesteviaRebMstevialeafsweetener.html
8. Watson, E. (2021, May 4). Stevia sweeteners: Ingredion acquires exclusive license to sell and Market Amyris’s reb M, produced via fermentation. Foodnavigator. https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2021/05/04/Stevia-sweeteners-Ingredion-acquires-exclusive-license-to-sell-and-market-Amyris-s-Reb-M-produced-via-fermentation#
9. TBRC Business Research PVT LTD. (2021, December 16). Stevia market players flourish with product innovations as per the Business Research Company’s Stevia Global Market Report 2021. GlobeNewswire News Room. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/12/16/2353922/0/en/Stevia-Market-Players-Flourish-With-Product-Innovations-As-Per-The-Business-Research-Company-s-Stevia-Global-Market-Report-2021.html
10. Mordor Intelligence. (2022). Stevia market: 2022 – 27: Industry share, size, growth. Mordor Intelligence. https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/stevia-market#faqs

GlobalNewswire. (2020, January 4). Stevia Market Worth $1.11 Billion by 2028 Exclusive Report by Meticulous Research®. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/01/04/2360918/0/en/Stevia-Market-Worth-1-11-Billion-by-2028-Exclusive-Report-by-Meticulous-Research.html