Sweet Green Fields’ new stevia-based natural flavor improves performance of high-intensity sweeteners

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Sweet Green Fields (SGF; Bellingham, WA) introduced a new stevia-based natural flavor at the Institute of Food Technologists’ trade show this week that the company says improves the performance of high-intensity sweeteners such as stevia. The company calls the new ingredient, named SteviAroma, a “taste modulator.”

When used alone, high-intensity sweeteners can suffer from some negative sensory attributes that can make their use challenging in reducing sugar in formulations, including being unable to mimic the crucial texture and mouthfeel properties that sugar would typically provide. SteviAroma can help improve the performance of high-intensity sweeteners, and it also reduces the need for other taste modifiers and texturants, the company says.

“Labeled as a natural flavor, SteviAroma improves the holistic sensory performance of high-intensity sweeteners by elevating the sweetness, supplying the full-bodied mouthfeel, and modifying the flavor and aroma,” the company explained in a press release. “SteviAroma has particular synergy with natural high-intensity sweeteners-for example, stevia extracts-because it can mask the off-taste and bitterness, cut the sweet linger, and build back the lost mouthfeel.”

“We invented this taste modulator for high-intensity sweeteners from the stevia leaf,” said Jack Shi, the company’s chairman and innovation scientist. “We want to mimic 100% the sugar performance in sugar-reduced foods and beverages. Sugar doesn’t contribute sweetness only; it provides texture and flavor, too. Now, we have done it with SteviAroma. You can get three functions in one natural flavor: enhancing sweetness, mouthfeel, and flavor.”