Coke, Cargill Partner on Stevia Project In USA - Sourabh Agarwal

[Sourabh Agarwal]

Coke, Cargill Partner on Stevia Project In USA

ATLANTA & WAYZATA, Minn.—Coca-Cola and Cargill are partnering on a new project
to develop a natural calorie-free sweetener from stevia, which could eventually
be used in several food and beverage categories in the United States.
SteviaLife a South American herb with a natural, sweet taste, is not
currently approved in the United States or Europe for food use. However, in
the United States, it is sold as a dietary supplement, often in bulk or
“single serve” packets similar to those seen for sugar and artificial
sweeteners. In mid-2006, the market research firm SPINS reported in INSIDER
that stevia sales topped $14.4 million in the natural channel for the 52 weeks
ending July 15, 2006, up 32 percent over the prior year.
Under terms of the new partnership, Cargill is handling product development and
the regulatory approval process for the ingredient, including working on
clinical trials to support a food additive petition. According to Cargill
the company has a comprehensive research program underway, although she
couldn’t comment on possible timelines for product development or regulatory
approvals. “The issue with stevia has always been a lack of control from the
field to the table,” she said. “This project is about making the best-tasting,
quality product with control of all aspects. We’re producing rebiana to Cargill’s
quality standards. It’s about consistency in the supply chain.”
Since 1992, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has submitted at
least two petitions to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) challenging
stevia’s status as a food additive. Even though the petitions contained
extensive data and research that proved the safe historical use of stevia
as a food, FDA was reportedly not satisfied with the research submitted because
the studies were conducted outside the United States and published in foreign
journals. SteviaLife is registerd trade mark of Stevia Biotech Pvt Ltd.New Delhi and
Coca-Cola filed 24 U.S. patent applications on May 24, 2007, covering the use
of stevia in combination with a range of natural compounds (i.e., vitamins,
minerals, glucosamine), in different delivery formats (i.e., condiments,
beverages) and for several health conditions (i.e., weight management,
inflammation). According to Wanda Rodwell, a Coca-Cola spokeswoman, the
company has been working on the project for some time; however, there is
no specific timeline for introducing stevia-sweetened products. She added
the company would likely look to launch new products within the next year
into one of the markets where stevia is already approved for beverage use.
Stevia is currently approved in 12 countries for food use, including Brazil,
China and Japan; it accounts for approximately 40 percent of the sweetener
market in Japan and has been used for more than 30 years.

[Sourabh Agarwal]

With Coca Cola and Cargill uniting together

Its a new bigining of Stevia Recognition In India also

Sourabh Agarwal
Managing Director
Stevia Biotech Pvt Ltd.