Treatt enters market for stevia flavour improvement

15-Jun-2011 - Last updated on 21-Jun-2011 at 16:05 GMT

Treatt has launched a blend of natural essences to improve the flavour and mouthfeel of stevia.

Called TreattSweet, the new blend is the first product that the UK supplier has launched specifically for stevia.

“It is a product that we have been working on for some time,” said Giles Bovill, global marketing manager at Treatt. “Flavour companies have been coming to us looking for help to make stevia products that mimic sucrose.”

As a natural low-calorie sweetener, stevia has strong market potential. Market research firm Zenith predicted earlier this year that its global market value is likely to rise from $285m in 2010 to $825m in 2014.

Improving the taste

But the sweetener suffers from some flavour drawbacks including lingering off-notes. Treatt claims its new non-caloric blend smoothes out these undesirable lingering characteristics and improves the overall mouthfeel and sweetness profile.

TreattSweet is a water soluble flavour ingredient making it suitable for use in a range of finished products from juices and waters to dressings and dairy products.

And because it is a clear, colourless ingredient, Treatt said it can be used in the formulation of clear drinks.

Different doses

TreattSweet can be added at a various levels depending on the finished product and the characteristics sought.

The company said that at levels upwards of 1000 ppm it creates an overall fruity, sweet effect without introducing any dominant flavour notes.

At lower levels between 100 and 250 ppm, it claimed that TreattSweet improves mouthfeel while intensifying sweetness by about 1.5 Brix.

Bovill said that while TreattSweet is the first flavour ingredient that the company has made specifically for stevia, it has been producing products to work with other sweeteners for around 10 years. He added that the product range is likely to be expanded in the future as the market develops.