Sweegen says it is the first company to receive the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel’s safety status for any steviol glycoside “produced by alternative and sustainable technologies.”
The European Union Commission has approved Sweegen’s (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) Bestevia rebaudioside M (Reb M) stevia ingredient for use in food and beverages. Sweegen says it is the first company to receive the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel’s safety status for any steviol glycoside “produced by alternative and sustainable technologies.”
“To achieve high-purity, clean-tasting stevia leaf sweeteners, Sweegen uses a bioconversion process starting with the stevia leaf,” the firm explained in a press release. “This process enabled Sweegen to obtain the Non-GMO Project verification for its Signature Bestevia stevia sweeteners in the U.S. market.”
Now, with approval in the EU, “this is just one of our many milestones in Europe to transform products for having a positive and lasting impact on our ever-evolving health,” said Luca Giannone, senior vice president of sales, in a press release.
Sweegen’s Reb M, commercialized in 2017, will be manufactured for the European market in Europe, helping food-and-beverage firms with rapid production and low-cost-in-use sugar reduction solutions, the company says. The company recently built an innovation studio in Reading, England, as well as in Mexico City and California. One will soon open in Singapore.
“Brands in Europe now have access to the best-tasting, highly-sought-after stevia sweetener,” it added.
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