While it is true that Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni can be cultivated in almost any climate, it isn’t an easy plant to grow and has its own unique set of challenges:

• Stevia seeds can’t be used for cultivation, due to phenotypic variability and reduced leaf quality.
• Stevia is highly susceptible to weeds in its first years due to its water requirements.
• There are no effective herbicides for stevia, and weeding has to be done manually.
• Stevia plants are vulnerable to a host of insects and diseases.
• Stevia leaves have to be harvested carefully, to avoid stressing the plant.

Challenges like those outlined above are difficult to overcome without proper direction and a set of best practices. That’s why we invited Leading Stevia cultivation experts from different regions to shed light on all of the above issues during the Stevia Cultivation workshop at 2^nd Stevia World Europe.

This separately bookable workshop, entitled “AGRONOMY ADVANCEMENTS & PROCESS OPTIMISATION FOR INCREASING GLYCOSIDES YIELD,” examines progress in meeting stevia cultivation challenges, and outlines best practices for easy adoption in Stevia cultivation projects.

Participants can look forward to the latest on Plant breeding techniques to optimize leaf quality, Organic Stevia cultivation, as well as real life perspectives from Stevia projects in Turkey and Colombia.

Reap maximum benefit from the valuable information you will receive at the Stevia Cultivation workshop! Book your places before seats sell out next week. Click on the link below to register online.

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CEO- Daniel Fischer

Switzerland’s Fischer Chemicals AG (Food Division) is one of the many companies attending 2nd Stevia World Europe in Geneva, but CEO Daniel Fischer is taking things up a notch by coming on board as Luncheon Sponsor!

Fischer Chemicals AG (Food Division) is the official distributor for Wagott Pharmaceuticals Ltd in Europe, and is currently exploring the European market in order to be ready for the European market when it opens.

According to Mr. Fischer, “Stevia is a young market and we would like to know who is interested in it and to offer our services.” He added, “Fischer Chemicals AG (Food Division) is participating and sponsoring 2^nd Stevia World Europe to learn more about the stevia market in Europe, widen our network, and showcase our services to the Stevia Industry.”

Fischer Chemicals AG [Food Division] has been distributing commercial volumes of stevia extract since 2009 in Switzerland. Their “Stevia Naturally” product line is currently produced by Chengdu Wagott Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, who are specialists in extracting active ingredients of natural plants in China.

Fischer Chemicals [Food Division] offers a number of stevia based sweetening products that conform to the JECFA specification, including:

• Steviol Glycosides and with 95% purity & above,
• Rebaudioside A with 95% purity & above and
• Stevioside with 90% purity & above.

In addition, Fischer Chemicals [Food Division] can also customize stevia extracts to meet specific requirements on request.

A quick search on Wagott revealed that the company currently has 3340 acres of stevia plantations across China, and according to Mr. Fischer, they implement tight quality controls over the whole production chain: from the fields to the extraction, to the final product, which are GMO free. In fact, Wagott has obtained GMP Certification issued by the SFDA, HACCP, CNAS (independent laboratory accreditation by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment) and KOSHER.

2nd Stevia World Europe in Geneva is the first global stevia conference meeting to discuss the implications of the EFSA’s positive review of Stevia sweeteners. And if you are keen to lock in your sweet spot in the EU markets, do clear your schedules to join us, and market experts like FISCHER CHEMICALS AG [Food Division] in Geneva on 18-19 May.

Click below to read press releases from Fischer Chemicals AG [Food Division] in

>>German/Deutsch<< >>French/Français<< >>English<<

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Producten zoals Zevia Soda en Villars Maître Chocolatier’s pure chocoladerepen met 70% cacao waren de eerste waarbij gebruik werd gemaakt van stevia-zoetstoffen in hun respectievelijke productcategorieën en blijken nu favoriet te zijn bij de consument

Bij de 2^e Stevia World Europe, een tweedaags congres in Genève op 18 en 19 mei, worden deze successen van stevia in de detailhandel en nog veel meer gepresenteerd

GENÈVE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Bij het onlangs gehouden congres Stevia World Americas meldde marktonderzoeksbureau SPINS dat er van 2004 tot 2008 over de hele wereld ruim 2000 nieuwe met stevia gezoete producten op de markt zijn gebracht. Meer recentelijk heeft SPINS vastgesteld dat Zevia de best verkopende drank is in de categorie natuurlijke dranken in de VS.

Het veranderende consumentenklimaat in de detailhandel met betrekking tot stevia-zoetstoffen en met stevia gezoete producten is het thema van het 2^e Stevia World Europe-congres in het Zwitserse Genève op 18 en 19 mei 2010. De heer Derek A. Newman, een directeur van Zevia LLC, zal details delen over hoe hun met stevia gezoete Zevia Soda vanuit een zwakke positie als een komeet omhoog is geschoten, met een omzetstijging van 600% in januari 2010 ten opzichte van januari 2009. Ook kreeg het product juichende kritieken van de media en consumenten, waaronder de recensie van ‘Supermarkt Goeroe’ Phil Lempert die onlangs werd gepubliceerd op: Stevia World Forum site.

Voor het 2^e Stevia World Europe-congres is ook de heer Alexandre Sacerdoti, algemeen directeur van Villars Maître Chocolatier, uitgenodigd om te spreken over de uitdagingen op het gebied van formulering, smaak en marketing waarmee men te maken kreeg bij het ontwikkelen van ’s werelds eerste chocolade gezoet met stevia.

Mintel, dat met SPINS heeft samengewerkt aan de publicatie van het definitieve Stevia Marktonderzoek, zal ook van zich laten horen op het 2^e Stevia World Europe congres. De heer David Jago, directeur Custom Solutions bij Mintel, zal uitgebreid ingaan op trends en innovaties, nieuwe producten, reacties van consumenten en de acceptatie van toepassing van stevia in voedingsmiddelen en dranken. Daarnaast biedt Fonterra Brands een Australisch perspectief bij het congres. Zij zullen de trends op de markt en de verwachtingen van samenstellers van voedingsmiddelen en dranken met betrekking tot zoetmiddelen bespreken.

Naast het bespreken van de successen van stevia in de detailhandel worden bij het 2^e Stevia World Europe-congres ook belangrijke updates gegeven over innovaties en formuleringen van op stevia gebaseerde producten, standpunten van regelgevende instanties en de wetenschap inzake stevioside (steviol glycoside), kwaliteitscontrole, organische certificering en andere specificaties voor etikettering, maar ook over nieuwe toepassingen van stevia in geneesmiddelen, nutraceutica en diervoeding.

Geïnteresseerden kunnen zich online registreren voor deelname aan het 2^e Stevia World Europe-congres op: Stevia World Forum site.

Deze bekendmaking is officieel geldend in de originele brontaal. Vertalingen zijn slechts als leeshulp bedoeld en moeten worden vergeleken met de tekst in de brontaal welke als enige juridische geldigheid beoogt.

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Prodotti come Zevia Soda e le tavolette di cioccolato fondente al 70% di Villars Maître Chocolatier sono stati i primi ad utilizzare i dolcificanti a base di stevia nelle loro rispettive categorie di prodotto e adesso spiccano tra i preferiti dei consumatori

La 2a edizione di Stevia World Europe metterà in mostra questi successi di vendita al dettaglio della stevia e altro durante la conferenza di 2 giorni a Ginevra il 18 e 19 maggio

GINEVRA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Durante la conferenza Stevia World Americas conclusasi recentemente, la società di ricerche di mercato SPINS riferiva che nel mondo sono stati lanciati oltre 2000 nuovi prodotti dolcificati con la stevia dal 2004 al 2008. Più recentemente, SPINS ha identificato Zevia quale bevanda n. 1 nelle vendite della categoria bevande naturali negli U.S.A.

Il cambiamento nell’ambito delle vendite al dettaglio ai consumatori dei dolcificanti a base di stevia e dei prodotti edulcorati con stevia sarà al centro della 2a Conferenza Stevia World Europe che si terrà a Ginevra, in Svizzera, il 18 e 19 maggio 2010. Il sig. Derek A. Newman, Amministratore presso Zevia LLC esporrà i dettagli su come la Zevia Soda dolcificata con stevia è passata dal “peggiore al primo posto”, con un aumento di introiti del 600% dal gennaio del 2010 rispetto al gennaio del 2009, raccogliendo recensioni entusiasmanti da parte dei media e dei consumatori. Tra queste, la recensione del “Guru dei Supermercati” Phil Lempert che è stata recentemente pubblicata sul sito web dello Stevia World Forum.

La 2a edizione di Stevia World Europe ha anche invitato il sig. Alexandre Sacerdoti, direttore generale di Villars Maître Chocolatier, a parlare della formulazione, del gusto e delle sfide di marketing che sono state affrontate nello sviluppo del primo cioccolato dolcificato con stevia al mondo.

Mintel, che ha lavorato con SPINS per pubblicare lo studio di mercato definitivo sulla stevia, parlerà anche alla 2a Conferenza Stevia World Europe. Il direttore delle Soluzioni per i clienti di Mintel, il sig. David Jago, farà il punto sulle tendenze e le innovazioni, i nuovi prodotti, la risposta dei consumatori e l’accettazione della richiesta per la stevia nel settore cibi e bevande. I marchi Fonterra forniranno una prospettiva australiana e asiatica alla conferenza, discutendo le tendenze chiave del mercato e le aspettative dei formulatori di cibo e bevande per le soluzioni dolcificanti.

Oltre ai successi al dettaglio di Stevia, la 2a Conferenza Stevia World Europe fornisce anche aggiornamenti vitali su innovazioni e formulazioni di prodotti basati sulla stevia, prospettive normative e scientifiche sul glucoside di stevia, il controllo di qualità, la certificazione biologica ed altre specifiche di etichettatura, oltre che le nuove applicazioni della stevia nei settori farmaceutici, nutraceutici, e dei mangimi animali.

Chi desiderasse partecipare alla 2a edizione di Stevia World Europe, può registrarsi online sul sito Stevia World Forum site.

Il testo originale del presente annuncio, redatto nella lingua di partenza, è la versione ufficiale che fa fede. Le traduzioni sono offerte unicamente per comodità del lettore e devono rinviare al testo in lingua originale, che è l’unico giuridicamente valido.

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Des produits comme les sodas Zevia et les barres au chocolat noir à 70 % de Villars Maître Chocolatier sont les premiers à avoir utilisé les édulcorants à la stévia dans leur catégorie de produit respective, et s’avèrent désormais devenir les favoris des consommateurs

Le 2^e salon Stevia World Europe présentera ces réussites autour de la stévia auprès du consommateur et plus encore au cours des 2 journées du salon qui se tiendra à Genève les 18-19 mai

GENÈVE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Au cours du salon Stevia World Americas qui s’est récemment clôturé, la société d’études de marché SPINS a annoncé que plus de 2000 nouveaux produits édulcorants à la stévia avaient été lancés dans le monde entre 2004 et 2008. Plus récemment, SPINS a identifié Zevia comme étant la boisson la plus vendue aux États-Unis dans la catégorie boissons naturelles.

L’évolution du climat de la consommation d’édulcorants à la stévia et des produits édulcorés à la stévia sera au cœur du 2^e salon Stevia World Europe qui aura lieu à Genève (Suisse) les 18-19 mai 2010. M. Derek A. Newman, administrateur à Zevia LLC y évoquera comment le soda de la société Zevia édulcoré à la stévia est passé de « la dernière à la première place » avec une hausse de 600 % du chiffre d’affaires en janvier 2010 comparé à janvier 2009, récoltant les éloges des médias et des consommateurs. Citons notamment cette étude du « gourou des supermarchés » Phil Lempert récemment mise en ligne sur le site du Stevia World Forum.

Le 2^e salon Stevia World Europe a également invité M. Alexandre Sacerdoti, directeur général de Villars Maître Chocolatier, pour parler de la formulation, du goût et des difficultés de marketing rencontrées par l’élaboration du premier chocolat au monde édulcoré à la stévia.

Mintel, qui a collaboré avec SPINS à la publication de l’étude de marché définitive sur la stévia, prendra également la parole au 2^e salon Stevia World Europe. M. David Jago, directeur Custom Solutions à Mintel, abordera les tendances et innovations, les nouveaux produits, la réaction du consommateur et l’acceptation de la candidature de la stévia dans les produits alimentaires et boissons. Fonterra Brands apportera à la conférence un point de vue d’Australasie et évoquera les tendances clés du marché ainsi que les attentes des formulateurs de produits alimentaires et boissons en matière de solutions édulcorantes.

Au-delà du succès de la stévia auprès du consommateur, le 2^e salon Stevia World Europe fournira des informations essentielles sur les innovations et formulations de produit à base de stévia, les perspectives réglementaires et scientifiques des glycosides de stéviol, le contrôle qualité, la certification biologique et d’autres spécifications d’étiquetage, ainsi que les applications innovantes de la stévia dans les secteurs pharmaceutique, nutriceutique et d’aliments pour animaux.

Les personnes désireuses de participer au 2^e salon Stevia World Europe peuvent présenter leur inscription en ligne sur le site Stevia World Forum.

Le texte du communiqué issu d’une traduction ne doit d’aucune manière être considéré comme officiel. La seule version du communiqué qui fasse foi est celle du communiqué dans sa langue d’origine. La traduction devra toujours être confrontée au texte source, qui fera jurisprudence.

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Productos como los refrescos Zevia y las tabletas de chocolate negro al 70% de Villars Maître Chocolatier fueron los primeros en utilizar edulcorantes a base de estevia en sus respectivas categorías de productos y ahora emergen como favoritos de los consumidores

El 2º Congreso Stevia World Europe presenta estos éxitos del mercado a base de estevia y otros productos durante el congreso de dos días en Ginebra del 18 al 19 de mayo

GINEBRA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Durante el recién concluido congreso Stevia World Americas, la firma de investigación de mercado SPINS informó del lanzamiento de más de 2000 nuevos productos endulzados con estevia en todo el mundo en el periodo comprendido entre 2004 y 2008. Más recientemente, SPINS ha identificado a Zevia como la bebida más vendida en la categoría de bebidas naturales en EE.UU.

La evolución del clima del consumo de edulcorantes a base de estevia y de productos endulzados con estevia será el tema del 2ª Congreso Stevia World Europe, que se celebra en Ginebra (Suiza), del 18 al 19 de mayo 2010. Derek A. Newman, miembro del consejo de administración de Zevia LLC, compartirá los detalles sobre cómo el refresco de la empresa Zevia edulcorado con estevia evolucionó del peor al mejor puesto con un aumento de los ingresos del 600% en enero de 2010 en comparación con el mismo mes de 2009, cosechando elogios de medios y consumidores. Entre estos elogios destaca el estudio del “gurú de los supermercados”, Phil Lempert, que se publicó recientemente en el sitio del Stevia World Forum.

El 2ª Congreso Stevia World Europe también contará con la participación de Alexandre Sacerdoti, Director General de Villars Maître Chocolatier, para hablar sobre la composición, sabor y retos en la comercialización surgidos en la elaboración del primer chocolate del mundo endulzado con estevia.

Mintel, que ha colaborado con SPINS en la publicación del estudio de mercado definitivo sobre la estevia, también intervendrá en el Congreso. David Jago, Director de Soluciones personalizadas de Mintel, señalará las tendencias e innovaciones, nuevos productos, respuestas de consumidores y aceptación de la candidatura de la estevia dentro de los productos alimentarios y bebidas. Fonterra Brands ofrecerá una perspectiva australasiática en el congreso, comentando las principales tendencias de mercado y previsiones de los formuladotes de F&B Formulators en materia de soluciones edulcorantes.

Además del éxito de la estevia entre los consumidores, el 2º Congreso Stevia World Europe también ofrecerá información esencial sobre las innovaciones y formulaciones de los productos basados en estevia, las perspectivas reglamentarias y científicas de los glicósidos de esteviol, calidad de control, certificación orgánica y otras especificaciones de etiquetado, así como nuevas aplicaciones de la estevia en el sector farmacéutico, nutricéutico y alimentos para animales.

Si desea participar en el 2º Congreso Stevia World Europe puede inscribirse en el sitio web del Stevia World Forum.

El comunicado en el idioma original, es la versión oficial y autorizada del mismo. La traducción es solamente un medio de ayuda y deberá ser comparada con el texto en idioma original, que es la única versión del texto que tendrá validez legal.

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Produkte wie Zevia Soda und Villars Maître Chocolatier’s Dark 70 % Schokoladentafeln verwendeten als Erstes die Süßstoffe von Stevia in ihren entsprechenden Produktkategorien und werden jetzt zu Kundenlieblingen.

Die 2. Stevia World Europe präsentiert nun diese und weitere Verkaufserfolge von Stevia auf der zweitägigen Veranstaltung in Genf am 18. und 19. Mai.

GENF, Schweiz–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Auf der kürzlich stattgefundenen Stevia World Americas-Konferenz berichtete das Marktforschungsinstitut SPINS, dass zwischen 2004 und 2008 mehr als 2000 neue Produkte mit Süßstoffen von Stevia weltweit auf den Markt gekommen sind. Und erst vor kurzem ermittelte SPINS Zevia als meistverkauftes Getränk in der Sparte natürliche Getränke in den USA.

Auf der 2. Stevia World Europe-Konferenz am 18. und 19. Mai 2010 in Genf wird der Schwerpunkt auf dem sich wandelnden Kunden-Konsumklima bei Stevia-Süßstoffen und Produkten mit Süßstoffen von Stevia liegen. Derek A. Newman, einer der Direktoren von Zevia LLC, wird berichten, wie das mit Stevia gesüßte Zevia Soda der Firma sich mit einem Umsatzanstieg von 600 % zwischen Januar 2009 und Januar 2010 von ganz unten zum Kassenschlager entwickelte und mittlerweile die besten Kritiken von Presse und Verbrauchern erntet, darunter auch die Kritik von „Supermarkt-Guru“ Phil Lempert, die kürzlich auf der Stevia World Forum-Website veröffentlicht wurde.

Auch Alexandre Sacerdoti, Generaldirektor bei Villars Maître Chocolatier, wurde von der 2. Stevia World Europe dazu eingeladen, über Rezeptur, Geschmack und Marketing-Herausforderungen bei der Entwicklung der weltweit ersten mit Stevia gesüßten Schokolade zu sprechen.

Mintel, mit dem SPINS an der Veröffentlichung einer endgültigen Marktstudie für Stevia gearbeitet hat, wird ebenfalls auf der 2. Stevia World Europe sprechen. David Jago, Direktor für den Bereich individuelle Lösungen bei Mintel, wird über Trends und Innovationen, Produktneuheiten sowie Verbraucherantwort und -akzeptanz von Stevia im Lebensmittel- und Getränkesektor sprechen. Fonterra Brands gibt auf der Konferenz die Möglichkeit einer australisch-asiatischen Perspektive, indem es Schlüssel-Markttrends und die Erwartungen der Lebensmittel- und Getränkebranche im Hinblick auf Süßstofflösungen diskutiert.

Über die Verkaufserfolge von Stevia hinaus wird die 2. Stevia World Europe auch zentrale Neuigkeiten liefern zu Produktneuheiten und -rezepturen auf Stevia-Basis, Regulierungs- und Forschungsperspektiven zu Steviol-Glykosiden, Qualitätskontrolle, Richtlinien für Bio-Zertifizierung und andere Kennzeichnungen sowie neue Stevia-Anwendungen für Pharmazeutika, Nutrazeutika und Tiernahrung.

Für die Teilnahme an der 2. Stevia World Europe erfolgt die Anmeldung online auf der Stevia World Forum-Website.

Die Ausgangssprache, in der der Originaltext veröffentlicht wird, ist die offizielle und autorisierte Version. Übersetzungen werden zur besseren Verständigung mitgeliefert. Nur die Sprachversion, die im Original veröffentlicht wurde, ist rechtsgültig. Gleichen Sie deshalb Übersetzungen mit der originalen Sprachversion der Veröffentlichung ab.

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With Stevia set to explode onto the European market a mere 6-9 months from now, companies looking for the competitive advantage are attending 2nd Stevia World Europe to find their niches and sweet spots in the European marketplace.

2nd Stevia World Europe, meeting in Geneva, Switzerland on 18-19 May, is the first global Stevia industry conference meeting so soon after the EFSA’s announcement on 14 April. This high-level industry conference, considered the largest Stevia networking meet in the world, will focus on European market and regulatory developments, and offer valuable pointers on entering the European market for stevia. The conference will also deliver valuable information on the cultivation, production, refining, formulating, marketing and labelling of stevia sweeteners and stevia sweetened products.

In fact, Consumer research firm Mintel will be providing a highly relevant overview of consumer acceptance of Stevia sweeteners in the F&B industry, highlighting new products and ingredient combinations that work! Attendees can also look forward to hearing leading flavour company WILD Flavors’ valuable tips on product formulation with stevia, as well insights from Zevia Soda (world’s first stevia sweetened soda) on the challenges they faced creating palatable Stevia-sweetened Carbonated soft drinks.

Those keen on participating in 2nd Stevia World Europe can submit their registrations online here. Those who are keen on exploring sponsorship and media partnerships can send their enquiries to Ms. Hafizah Adam at hafizah@cmtsp.com.sg

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During the recently concluded Stevia World Americas conference, market research house SPINS reported that over 2000 new stevia sweetened products had been launched around the world from 2004-2008. More recently, SPINS identified Zevia as the #1 selling beverage item in the natural beverages category in the US.

The changing consumer retail climate for stevia sweeteners and stevia-sweetened products will be the focus of the 2^nd Stevia World Europe conference in Geneva-Switzerland on 18-19 May 2010. Mr. Derek A. Newman, a Director at Zevia LLC will share details on how the company’s stevia sweetened Zevia Soda went from ‘worst to first’ with a 600% increase in revenues in January 2010 over January 2009 and garnered rave reviews from the media and consumers. Among them is the review by ‘Supermarket Guru’ Phil Lempert that was recently posted at http://www.cmtevents.com/eventposts.aspx?feedid=769&ev=100529&.

2^nd Stevia World Europe has also invited Mr. Alexandre Sacerdoti, Director General of Villars Maître Chocolatier, to speak about the formulation, taste and marketing challenges faced in developing the World’s first chocolate Stevia sweetened chocolate.

Mintel, which worked with SPINS to publish the definitive Stevia Market study, will also be speaking at 2nd Stevia World Europe. Mintel’s Director of Custom Solutions Mr. David Jago will pinpoint trends and innovations, new products, consumer response and acceptance of Stevia’s Application in Food & Beverage. Fonterra Brands will provide an Australasian perspective at the conference, discussing key market trends and F&B Formulators’ expectations for sweetening solutions.

Besides Stevia’s retail successes, 2^nd Stevia World Europe also delivers vital updates on Stevia-based product innovations & formulations, regulatory and scientific perspectives on Steviol glycosides, quality control, organic certification & other labeling specifications, as well as novel Stevia applications in Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals and Animal feed.

Those keen on participating in the 2^nd Stevia World Europe can submit their registrations online. Click on the link below to access.

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Refer to the pie-chart below, for profile of industry players and end users already signed up for the Shanghai meet.

Join us at 2nd Stevia World Asia and be part of the revolution, register now >>CLICK HERE<<.

We look forward to meeting you in Shanghai!

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In an interview with Natural News.com in January 2009, Zevia co-founder Ian Eisenberg spoke frankly about the product formulation process. He commented on the difficulty of removing the bitter after-taste and creating a good-tasting soft drink. Fast forward to today, SPINS identified Zevia as the #1 selling beverage item in the natural beverages category in the US.

Mr. Derek A. Newman, a Director at Zevia LLC will be speaking at 2^nd Stevia World Europe, sharing details on how the company’s stevia sweetened product line went from ‘worst to first’ with a 600% increase in revenues in January 2010 over January 2009.

Zevia’s speech at 2^nd Stevia World Europe will be part of a Retail success showcase at the conference, that will feature insights on the world’s first stevia sweetened chocolate, and Mintel’s overview of Trends & Innovations surrounding Stevia’s Application in Food & Beverage.

Participants can also look forward to hearing about key market trends in Australasia, and F&B Formulators’ expectations for sweetening solutions from Dr. Andrew Saunders, a senior research technologist at Fonterra Brands.

Those keen on participating in the 2^nd Stevia World Europe can submit their registrations online. Click on the link below to access.

Video of Zevia on ABC News

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Stevia has an unpleasant aftertaste and a slow sweet taste when compared with sugar. Adding Natural Stevia Optimizer cuts the unpleasant aftertaste of stevia, improves the sweet taste appearance, and enhances stevia’s character of adding body. Using stevia and Natural Stevia Optimizer, products can have a sweet full body with a controlled rich flavor while maintaining the all-natural claim.

Source: http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=26659&zoneid=2 , 22 March 2010.

To learn more on flavour masking, join Mr. Toshio Miyazawa, Researcher of Ogawa & Co. Ltd., as he presents his paper on Flavor Masking/ Modification and Sweetness Enhancement Technology for Stevia on day 1 of 2nd Stevia World Asia in Shanghai.

>>Click Here<< to registration page now!

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We are pleased to share Dr. Richard Kraska’s detailed report on Stevia World Americas. The Atlanta conference attracted over 150 attendees from all over the world.   Participants included growers, processors and formulators sprinkled with scientists and consultants of various expertise. This report outlines some of the most important information and insights shared over the 2-day conference.

History & Markets for Stevia Sweeteners

The first morning session was a very interesting introduction filled with knowledgeable speakers like James Kempland of GLG looking back at the history of stevia and Michael Movitz of SPINS looking forward at market potential and consumer attitudes

According to Michael Movitz Consumer surveys show a large interest in stevia sweeteners but not all consumers who are interested have tried stevia sweetened products.  So there seems to be quite an untapped market for stevia sweetened products.

Regulatory Status, Quality & Labeling

The first morning session also discussed the current regulatory situation in the US with FDA and quality issues. We learned that the big hurdle with FDA has been cleared with several GRAS notifications receiving no objection letters from FDA for both purified reb A and mixed glycoside products.

However, the FDA is insisting that all marketers submit GRAS notifications and has enlisted the help of customs agents to make sure that no sweetener product for food is successfully imported if the product is not on the FDA GRAS Inventory.  In submitting a GRN, the single most important piece of data is the analytical skill with which the notifier demonstrates that the purity of the product is at least 95% steviol glycosides on a dry weight basis. We also learned that FDA is actively monitoring the purity of sweetener samples in the marketplace, demonstrating that FDA intends to enforce the purity requirement.

FDA has been less active with guiding industry on labeling issues.  We learned that a number of terms have been uses as common or usual names on ingredient labels without challenge but that FDA is probably monitoring the situation with respect to consumer understanding and accuracy.  As products of diversified composition come to market, labeling terms will be more challenging.   The term natural has been successfully used in the marketplace and seems to be consistent with less than clear guidance from FDA.

It was noted that approvals will likely soon come in many other countries but the process is not automatic and country-specific procedures need to be followed.  There is promise that the regulatory community will accept slightly wider specifications to allow for small quantities of reb D and reb F, which will be helpful for variations in compositions found in certain growing regions and climates.

The analytical data on stevia products are important to demonstrate adequate purity to FDA and consistency of composition to customers.  The analytical methods used for stevia are fairly complex and the importance of subtle techniques was discussed by Mitzi Rettinger from Cerriliant Corporation.

Significant Scientific Breakthroughs in Stevia

The afternoon of the first day, the discussion continued on scientific issues, namely product composition and taste.  We learned from Wixon’s Mariano Gascon and Justine Lord from Naturex that purified stevia varies in composition depending on plant genetics, growing region, climate, and weather.

There was also information conveyed on sweetness and taste profiles and we learned that chemical composition is important.  There are also many alternatives for combinations of stevia sweeteners with flavor enhancers to customize taste profiles.  So there is much room for the development of products with varying composition where the taste is tailored to suit particular food products.

In addition, there was a talk by DSM Nutritional Products on some new data indicating that high doses of steviol and steviol glycosides can improve cognitive function in laboratory animals.

Growing Stevia & Manufacturing Stevia Sweeteners

On the second day we learned more about growing and manufacturing processes in the stevia value chain from key growers like Wisdom Natural Brands, Sun Fruits Ltd, and Imperio Guarani SA (Paraguay), refiners like Prodalysa Ltda. (Chile) and Novasep Process (USA) as well as researchers like Prof. Dr. Silvio Claudio da Costa from The State University of Maringa (UEM – Brazil).

There are many regions of the world which can grow stevia.  As a perennial plant, an important key to yield is the climate and the number of cuttings that can be made each year.  There are also several natural genetic variants of the stevia plant. Identifying an optimum region is challenging because the longer sunlight periods in temperate regions counteract the more consistent weather in tropical areas.

We heard heartwarming stories on how stevia is improving the income of many small farmers in less developed countries.  Stevia is competing well for acreage with marijuana— another unexpected benefit of stevia!   We learned that the extraction process is very complex and there are many options to obtain high purity glycosides of varying composition.

Why Stevia World Americas was an important conference:

Stevia is certainly big business now—it is estimated that the total worldwide investment is in excess of $1 billion and sure to grow.  The meeting was well worth attending.  I met many interesting people from all corners of the industry.  Many people are still trying to find their niche on how to participate in this growing industry.  Attendance was very useful for all that want to participate in stevia’s future.

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What was apparent from Mr. Movitz’s presentation is that Stevia Sweeteners are headed for the mainstream as a natural, no-calorie sweetener, mainly due to consumer preferences for natural alternatives to artificial low calorie sweeteners.

The report predicts that the stevia industry will grow to $2 billion by the end of 2011, up from $21 million in 2008. The report also highlighted interesting data from Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD), which tracked over 2000 new stevia sweetened products launched globally between 2004-2008. The research also showed that consumers are already aware of Stevia as a sweetener, and that there are plenty of growth opportunities.

To access essential Stevia market data, and explore the evolving profile of the growing market, tune into our recording of Michael Movitz’s presentation. Just submit the form below, and watch out for our email with instructions to access the recording:

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James (Jim) Kempland was one of the first attendees to share his reflections on the conference. Jim is the Vice President of Marketing at GLG Lifetech Corporation, and his report outlined what key industry experts had to say on the ‘past, present and future’ of stevia, and called for greater cooperation within the Stevia industry.

According to Jim, “From the panels to the hallway conversations, one thing was clear: stevia is headed for the mainstream, creating a whole new category of natural, no-calorie sweeteners, which will change the world’s eating and drinking habits.”

He added, “Stevia’s growth comes from the wide range of products that stevia can positively influence. The opportunity is to shift the way food and beverage manufacturers are looking at developing zero and low-calorie products for consumers. Stevia can be blended with sugar to lower calorie content in food and beverages, or it can replace artificial sweeteners.”

Besides Jim, we also heard from many other conference attendees, who shared their reviews and testimonials. Here’s a snapshot of what they are saying:

“This was a very informative conference on the life of this emerging raw material. It explained the product cycle literally from crop to cup.” ~ Sr Flavor Chemist, MANE

“I learned a lot, and I have much to do in the lab about applications to improve recipes with Stevia” ~ R&D Beverage Manager, Danone Group

“All phases of business covered in 2 days, gives you a good idea of who’s who in business” ~ President, Agriplus

“Very useful meeting with all relevant players of the industry, I learned in 2 days more than in months of isolated effort” ~ Director, Agrostevia

“Very good, would highly recommend to others” ~ Sr Manager Technical Services, Niutang Chemical

Stevia World Americas definitely set the bar high for Stevia World conferences, and the upcoming 2nd Stevia World Asia on 20-21 April in Shanghai, and the 2nd Stevia World Europe on 18-19 May 2010 in Geneva are all set to bring more value in terms of information and insights to all attendees.

Those seeking more information on 2nd Stevia World Asia and 2nd Stevia World Europe can click on the links below or email hafizah@cmtsp.com.sg to find out more.

Those who wish to read Jim’s article can do so at http://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/contents/view/17865

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