PureCircle to showcase its stevia in a house-brand gourmet ice cream.

Photo © iStockphoto.com/OlgaMiltsova 

PureCircle (Chicago, IL), a producer of stevia sweeteners, is launching a branded gourmet PureCircle ice cream in Chicago as a way to demonstrate the quality and efficacy of its stevia ingredients. The ice cream will be sweetened with the firm’s Reb M stevia sweetener, creating a low-calorie product with a clean, sweet flavor. Compared to the leading full-calorie vanilla ice cream, says PureCircle, the firm’s branded vanilla ice cream will contain less than half the calories while maintaining the same textural characteristics and flavor.

Initially, PureCircle will release its ice cream in four flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee, and Salted Caramel. They will be available in 5.3-oz mini cups and pints at launch. To start, the ice cream will be distributed throughout the city via PureCircle-branded ice cream trucks. The firm also plans to offer its ice cream products for sale in restaurants, ice cream parlors, hotels, and other foodservice outlets. Simultaneously, PureCircle will be selling stevia-based ingredient blends to ice cream manufacturers who sell at retail and food service.

“We have worked hard to develop and commercialize our next generation stevia leaf sweeteners. To demonstrate our confidence in their great taste, we are putting our name on this delicious ice cream,” said PureCircle CEO Maga Malsagov, in a press release. “We hope consumers – and our customers – will drop by PureCircle Ice Cream trucks to savor what our next generation stevia can do in food and beverage products.”

In connection with the launch of its ice cream, PureCircle has also partnered with the Illinois chapter of JDRF, which funds research, advocates for government action, and provides support to fight type I diabetes. As part of this partnership, JDRF will help PureCircle educate its members about the new product, and will provide the firm opportunities to sample, and sell its ice cream at certain JDRF events.