Sweetener developer PureCircle introduced Sigma Syrup, a new stevia ingredient that will be extremely valuable to beverage and food manufacturers, it says. This optimized blend of stevia leaf ingredients, including Reb M, is proprietary to PureCircle. Sigma Syrup provides high-quality taste and overcomes solubility challenges encountered when using other stevia sweeteners in products that are high in sweetness intensity, such as syrups and liquid tabletop sweeteners, according to the company. Sigma Syrup is made from the stevia leaf and is non-GMO. Like PureCircle’s Reb M sweetener, Sigma Syrup has a clean, sugar-like taste. PureCircle also announced a new proprietary varietal of stevia plants. Carefully cultivated by PureCircle and successfully field-tested, this new stevia varietal naturally yields greater quantities of its stevia ingredients. This enhances the company’s production efficiency, and further improves its ability to deliver a sustainable, cost-effective supply of the company’s stevia leaf ingredients to food and beverage companies, it says. This allows brand owners to develop more accessible, healthier products for a wider range of consumer price points, it adds. PureCircle’s stevia expertise enables it to extract and offer for sale other ingredients from the stevia leaf, including flavor modifiers and antioxidants for use in functional products, according to the company. In addition, PureCircle is working toward the commercialization of stevia-based protein and fiber ingredients this year.

PureCircle, 200 W. Jackson Blvd., 8th Floor, Chicago, Ill. 60606; 630/361-0374; purecircle.com.