Splenda Maker Introduces “Nectresse” Monk Fruit Sweetener

Splenda developer and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary McNeil Nutritionals LLC just introduced Nectresse, a zero-calorie tabletop sweetener made with monk fruit extract. The move by the artificial sweetening leader is expected to garner increased consumer awareness of monk fruit as a fruit-based sweetening alternative.

Like stevia, monk fruit (luo han guo) is marketed for its “natural” and plant-based origins, but monk fruit has not gained as much market share as stevia-perhaps due to its higher price point. Still, leading manufacturers, such as Coke and Kashi, have introduced products with monk fruit.

Leading monk fruit extract supplier BioVittoria (Hamilton, New Zealand) is hailing the launch of Nectresse, confident the launch will bring monk fruit into the mainstream. BioVittoria maintains a working relationship with the Chinese government to employ a growers network of 3000 monk fruit farmers in China’s Northern Guangxi Province.

According to the product website, Nectresse is composed of three ingredients: monk fruit extract, erythritol, and molasses.