WFSI’s stevia sweetener solutions ready for the Indian market

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India approved the use of steviol glycosides as a non-nutritive sweetener last month.

ADM’s WILD Flavors & Specialty Ingredients (WFSI) now offers a wide range of appropriate concepts containing less sugar and fitting in a modern lifestyle.

Around the world, most people enjoy sweet treats. The demand for “indulgent” food and beverages is constantly growing, as well as the trend towards “healthy nutrition”. As a result, there is huge sales potential for products which less sugar but that still taste good. In response to this development, WFSI has created appropriate solutions, such as products sweetened with stevia extract for the Indian market.

The stevia plant has a great deal to offer: it contains sweeteners from natural sources and has no calories, which makes it a promising sugar substitute. WFSI began investing in stevia R&D years ago, and it has developed technologies to master the challenges in handling stevia.

WFSI has invested in sites and staff to help the company crack the Indian market

In recent years, WFSI has worked in close conjunction with a trained panel of sensory experts to produce a wide selection of Taste Optimising solutions. These products not only influence the sweetening profile of products, they can also mask a possible bitter off note. Adding bitter blockers inhibits the appropriate taste receptors in the mouth and reduces bitterness. Natural ingredients which improve the mouthfeel and finish the sweetening profile complement this concept. The Taste Optimisers do not contain any sugar substitutes or sugar alcohols such as erythrite. They can be labelled as “natural flavours” in the finished product. WFSI customises these functional flavours to each individual product in order to achieve the best possible effect.

To achieve sustainable success in India, it is essential to have knowledge of the regional market and of flavour preferences. WFSI has decades of experience in product development, knows international as well as local markets and customizes its products to the respective taste favourites. This makes the company compelling to its customers in India as well, including the region’s “big players” as well as smaller local manufacturers. Thanks to investments in sites and staff in the last few years, WFSI has greatly expanded its capacity and product portfolio for this important future market.