Stevia: DSM introduces Avansya Reb M for Mexico, USA

15-Jul-2018 - Last updated on 19-Jul-2018 at 14:11 GMT

Ingredients giant DSM has achieved registration for use in Mexico with COFEPRIS of its Avansya Reb M steviol glycoside, introducing the ingredient at this year's IFT in Chicago.

The company describes its Avansya Reb M (Rebaudioside M) ingredient as a sustainably produced, non-artificial sweetener that answers to the need for advanced, flexible sugar reduction in a wide range of foods and beverages.

Avansya Reb M is sustainably produced by fermentation, added DSM. The process is completely water-based and solvent-free.

DSM expects to provide commercial quantities of Avansya Reb M to customers in the US and Mexico in the second half of the year, and thereafter in the rest of the world pursuant to regulatory approvals and in line with the company’s production scale-up plan.

“With rates of overweight and obesity on the rise globally, the food industry is looking for ways to create healthier versions of the foods and beverages consumers love,” says Luiz Leite, Director of DSM’s Sugar Reduction Platform. “We believe that better sweeteners—which taste better, are non-artificial, and offer advanced sugar reduction opportunities—will be an important part of the solution.”

“DSM’s 2017 consumer survey about sugar reduction and sweeteners showed us there is good recognition for Stevia in Brazil and Mexico, with more than half of consumers telling us they are familiar with it as a sweetener,” Leite told us. “In Mexico, our research showed that stevia is a top-3 sought-after sweetener in the country.”

At the IFT Expo, the company is showcasing its Reb M in a sweetened yogurt application, where the new sweetener has enabled a 100% reduction in added sugar.

Leite added that lot of demand for sugar reduction solutions is being driven by beverages, fine baking and dairy. In addition to those applications, “Avansya Reb M is well suited to a wide range of applications […] including sports nutrition, sauces, and confectionery,” he added.

Worldwide scale-up

“The need for advanced sugar reduction solutions is a global one, and we look forward to a worldwide scale up for Avansya Reb M, with regulatory approvals on-going in many countries,” said Leite. “Brazil, Argentina, and Chile are therefore also in our sights.”