The addition of monk fruit extract acts as a natural flavor enhancer to mask the off-notes associated with stevia, the firm says.
By combining natural sweeteners stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol, Steviva Ingredients (Portland, OR) is now offering what it says is a natural, low-calorie sweetener with a mouthfeel similar to sugar.
MonkSweet Plus features the company’s SteviaSweet 95-60, monk fruit extract (lo han guo; pictured), and Erysweet erythritol. “Calorie-free SteviaSweet 95-60 delivers 250 times the sweetness of sucrose, while Erysweet erythritol not only restores necessary bulk but also tempers that sweetness of stevia and provides a mild cooling effect. The addition of monk fruit extract contributes additional sweetness and also acts as a natural flavor enhancer to mask the off-notes associated with stevia and other ingredients in a formulation,” the company explained via press release.
The ingredient can be used as a 1:2 replacer for sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup in order to lower calorie counts, the company added; in fact, it works well in formulation with other sweeteners. It is suited for beverages, sauces, and baked goods.
Jennifer Grebow
Editor-in-Chief
Nutritional Outlook magazine jennifer.grebow@ubm.com
Photo © iStockphoto.com/only_fabrizio
The Nutritional Outlook Podcast Episode 33: Keeping up with contract manufacturing
July 26th 2024Nutritional Outlook talks to Lauren Samot, commercial innovation leader, and Blayney McEneaney, sales executive at Vitaquest International, about trends within the contract manufacturing space, and the ways in which contract manufacturers like Vitaquest keep up with the market and differentiate themselves from the competition.