The high-intensity sweetener (HIS) market is a study in contrasts between Western and Eastern consumers—with one going sour, while the other stays sweet. Although new, natural sweeteners like stevia extract are gaining ground, consumption of high-intensity sweeteners as a class is growing at a negligible rate in North America and Europe, due, in part, to the decline in carbonated soft drink consumption in these regions. In contrast, demand for the entire range of high-intensity sweeteners remains strong in Asia, according to new research from IHS Markit (NASDAQ: INFO), the leading global source of critical information and insight.

The high-intensity sweetener market is a study in contrasts. Although new, natural sweeteners like stevia extract are gaining ground, consumption growth for high-intensity sweeteners as a class has slowed to near zero in North America and Europe, due, in part, to the decline in soft drink consumption in these regions.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved an application to increase the maximum permitted levels of a high-intensity sweetener and an application to use a genetically modified soybean in food and notified the approvals to the Ministerial Council.