This story was originally published on Food Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Food Dive newsletter.

Dive Brief:

• Tate & Lyle on Tuesday debuted a “groundbreaking” stevia composition, Optimizer Stevia 8.1, which the company says delivers a taste profile closest to sugar at a lesser cost than other premium sweeteners. 

• The ingredient has versatility across applications, according to Tate & Lyle, and can be used as a high-sugar replacement in nutrition bars and shakes, functional beverages, vitamin gummies, yogurt and more. 

• The innovation comes amid a large group of ingredient manufacturers pouring efforts into R&D around sweetener ingredients, as most consumers are concerned about their sugar intake, and sugar reduction is the number one dietary trend globally.

Dive Insight:

Through its proprietary production process, the company used steviol glycosides, which are naturally occurring components of the stevia leaf to create the new product. This part of the leaf is underutilized, Tate & Lyle said. 

“We've leveraged our technical expertise to create a sweetener that not only meets the highest standards of taste and quality but also delivers cost savings to our customers. OPTIMIZER Stevia 8.10 opens a world of possibilities for food and beverage manufacturers because they no longer have to compromise on taste because of cost,” said Abigail Storms, senior vice president of sweeteners and fibers at Tate & Lyle, in a statement. 

The production process enables greater use of the stevia leaf extract, promoting more efficient manufacturing processes and bringing down costs, according to the company. 

The ingredient composition qualifies for labeling as “stevia extract” (following joint guidance from the FDA and WHO) aligning with consumer preference for a sweetener derived from nature. In a study recently sent to Food Dive, consumers were far more open to individual artificial sweetener ingredients than “artificial sweeteners” as a category.

Last month, Tate & Lyle announced it had entered into an agreement to acquire CP Kelco, a leading provider of pectin, with the goal of creating a leading food and beverage solutions business. The total implied deal was $1.8 billion. 

A few weeks prior to the proposed deal, the company launched a new campaign to showcase its capabilities in texture and mouthfeel, including a new proprietary formulation tool, Tate & Lyle Sensation.