Although Valentine’s Day has passed, stevia is still “whispering sweet nothings” into consumers’ ears. As a natural, zero-calorie sweetener that’s sweeter than sugar, stevia is capitalizing on consumer demand for natural and healthy beverages. As this demand continues to increase, stevia’s popularity will rise as well, according to a January 2013 presentation by Chicago-based Euromonitor International titled “Functionality, Naturalness and Stevia Key to Developing Beverages to Fit Today’s Trends.” Between 2011 and 2016, consumption of stevia ingredients is expected to more than double, increasing by a little more than 2 million pounds, it reports.
Adding to its growth, the European Union’s approval of steviol glycosides with 95 percent purity in 2011 opened many doors for the ingredient, according to Euromonitor’s October 2012 presentation titled “Ingredients: How Will Stevia Change the Sweeteners Market?” And late last year, Health Canada approved stevia as an additive in food and beverage products.