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Steviva announces new monk fruit/stevia blends

12 May 2015

Steviva Ingredients has launched a range of monk fruit-stevia sweetener blend solutions. The MonkSweet portfolio is comprised of five all-natural sweetening systems and grades, bringing together, says the company, optimal levels of proprietary monk fruit (lo han guo) and stevia or erythritol. Included are: MonkSweet + — a blend of SteviaSweet 95-60, monk fruit extract and […]

Steviva Ingredients has launched a range of monk fruit-stevia sweetener blend solutions.

The MonkSweet portfolio is comprised of five all-natural sweetening systems and grades, bringing together, says the company, optimal levels of proprietary monk fruit (lo han guo) and stevia or erythritol.

Included are:

• MonkSweet + — a blend of SteviaSweet 95-60, monk fruit extract and Erysweet Erythritol. Twice as sweet as sugar with 0.2 calories per gram, it is said to deliver a naturally sweet, minimal calorie solution with a similar mouthfeel to sugar.
• MonkSweet LS —monk fruit stevia blend has 250 times the sweetness of sucrose. Steviva says that the unique combination of steviol glycosides and the compounds in monk fruit result in a deliciously sweet, well-rounded flavor profile.
• MonkSweet — pure monk fruit extract. Described as having a neutral flavour in most applications and is available in three grades, including MonkSweet V25: 25% minimum mogroside V, said to be the most cost-effective monk fruit sweetener with a neutral flavour profile, and suitable for beverage and baked goods; MonkSweet V40: with 300 times the sweetening power of sugar V40 (40% minimum mogroside V), claimed to blendsperfectly with nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners to deliver further calorie and sugar reductions; and MonkSweet V50 :400 times sweeter than sugar, V50 (50% minimum mogroside V) is the most intensely sweet of the MonkSweet family. V50 is also said to pair well with other sweeteners and deliver even further clean label sugar reduction.

Monk fruit is a relative newcomer to the market, the company notes, and is derived from a group of glycosides called mogrosides. Steviva Ingredients extracts mogroside V, the sweetest of these, from the pulp of the fruit via water extraction, a method claimed to provide the cleanest flavour because it is free from residue and chemical solvents. The addition of monk fruit extract contributes additional sweetness, while helping to eliminate or reduce the need for added sugar. Monk fruit extract not only acts as a natural flavour enhancer, it is said to be a perfect complement to stevia, masking the off-notes sometimes associated with stevia.

Each of the MonkSweet formulations can assist manufacturers in the quest for clean-label sugar reduction, Steviva said, easily plugging into formulations to replace sucrose or high fructose corn syrup. The result is a reduction in calories and reduced sugar on nutritional labels while simultaneously enhancing flavour.

As with all Steviva Ingredients’ sweetening system solutions, the company says MonkSweet line will meet consumer demands for GMO-free, allergen-free, kosher certified food, and is appealing to diabetics because of its low glycaemic load.

Designed for beverages, cereals, confectionery products, desserts, fruit products, ice cream, jams and jellies, meal replacement bars and snacks, MonkSweet is highly soluble, as well as non-fermenting. It is said to be appropriate in a wide range of formulations because it works well with other sweeteners and is heat, shelf and pH stable.

MonkSweet products are available in 25kg poly-lined boxes and 1000kg totes.