Food Standard Australia New Zealand approves Bestevia Reb E
Reb E is the latest ingredient in the sweetener portfolio of Bestevia, SweeGen’s solution for reducing sugar in food and drink products
Food Standard Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved Bestevia Reb E as an ingredient in food and drink formulations. Reb E is a non-GMO steviol glycoside commercially produced by US company SweeGen through a proprietary stevia leaf-based bioconversion process. The compound is the foundation of Bestevia E+ Taste Solutions, a sugar reduction platform for dairy, drinks, confectionery, sauces, bakery, cannabis and, nutrition applications.
Steviol glycosides are the compounds responsible for the sweet taste of the leaves of the stevia plant (stevia rebaudiana), and the main ingredients of many sweeteners marketed under the generic name stevia and several trade names.
SweeGen’s proprietary process starts with the stevia leaf. Enzymes are used to bioconvert these steviol glycosides into sweetener molecules that are then isolated and purified. The sweetener molecules produced such as Reb E are identical to those found in nature.
Steviol glycosides have been reported to be between 250 times sweeter than sucrose.
The approval of Bestevia Reb E joins the regulatory nod that Sweegen’s Bestevia portfolio obtained in 2019 when FSANZ approved Rebs D and M.
“The approval comes at a great time because brands want access to the best tasting non-GMO zero-calorie stevia sweeteners available to satisfy consumers without compromising taste,” said SweeGen’s Lewis Tessarolo, senior director of business development, Asia-Pacific.
Tessarolo said the sensory performance and taste of Bestevia ingredients are dynamic and classified in the industry as ‘next generation’ stevia sweeteners.
“Achieving FSANZ approval for Rebaudioside E shows our clear commitment to delivering a wide range of sweetness and taste solutions for customers in the region,” said Tessarolo. “With the growing health awareness among consumers, coupled with government health initiatives to curb obesity and diabetes, Sweegen can help brands obtain the sugar reduction they need.”
Sweegen said the business continues to focus on application technology, taste modulation expertise and regional consumer trends to meet the high demand for sugar reduction solutions in the nature-based sweetener space.
The approval in Australia joins a growing list of approvals for Reb E such as the US, Mexico, Canada and Singapore.