Thursday 14 February 2019

Tate & Lyle works to keep stevia sweetener tasting sustainable

Tate & Lyle has launched a new project to ensure its stevia sweetener is sustainably sourced.

Together with its stevia partner Sweet Green Fields and environmental science-based non-profit Earthwatch, the firm will assess the environmental impacts of the product's supply chain.

Stevia is a sweetener and sugar substitute extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana - it is becoming increasingly popular with food and beverage producers looking to reduce sugar and calories in their products.

Much of the world’s stevia supply is grown on Chinese farms - the firms involved with the new scheme hope to avoid its production resulting in negative soil, water, waste and energy impacts, such as contributing to deforestation.

Abigail Storms, Vice President of the Sweetener Platform and Global Platform Marketing at Tate & Lyle, said: "We are proud to be working with our partners Sweet Green Fields and Earthwatch to support sustainable stevia production to ensure that stevia not only improves consumer lives but also supports sustainable livelihoods and farming practices in the supply chain, with minimal impact on the environment."