Based in Chicago, PureCircle, a producer and innovator of stevia sweeteners, is launching a zero-added-sugar ice cream in its hometown at the end of August. The great-tasting branded gourmet ice cream is sweetened with the company’s next generation stevia leaf sweeteners. It will initially be distributed around the city via PureCircle ice cream trucks.
The launch of the new ice cream – with the company’s name on the labels -- demonstrates PureCircle’s confidence in the great taste of its next generation non-GMO stevia sweeteners. They are an important break-through. The capabilities of these sweeteners and the company’s unique expertise in formulating with them are what make possible the delicious ‘PureCircle’ ice cream.
The new ice cream will be available in four flavors: vanilla, chocolate, coffee and salted caramel. There will also be a vegan fruit-flavored frozen dessert. These new stevia-sweetened treats have the rich, creamy taste characteristic of gourmet ice cream but with no sugar added. The new ice cream offerings will be available in 5.3-ounce mini-cups and pints at launch. And as it is sweetened with stevia, the ice cream contains no artificial sweeteners.
Stevia leaf sweeteners are used by global food and beverage companies as a plant-based, zero-calorie alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners. PureCircle has overcome the challenges facing stevia leaf sweeteners in the past: taste, supply and cost. The company’s next generation stevia sweeteners have a clean, sugar-like taste and work well across multiple consumer product categories. And PureCircle has ramped up its ability to produce its next generation sweeteners in supplies that food and beverage companies require – and cost effectively to them. That means food and beverage companies can offer consumers zero- and low-calorie products, sweetened with a plant-based, non-GMO sweetener.
The importance of stevia sweeteners to the beverage and food industries is growing, evidenced by its increased use. Last year, the number of new products launched using stevia globally grew +31%, according to Mintel. That was roughly three times the growth rate in 2017. Over the last decade, stevia has been used in more than 20,000 beverage and food launches. Many large and small food and beverage companies globally utilize PureCircle stevia in their low- and zero-calorie products due to its great taste.
