Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – PureCircle’s new stevia leaf-based flavor enhancers for vanilla and cocoa flavors are a way to produce products at a manageable price point, the company said on Tuesday.

The new products qualify to be labeled as natural flavors on product ingredient labels, according to a company statement. Research from Mintel indicates market demand as  new products containing cocoa have grown by 16% over the past five years while those with vanilla have increased 31% in the same time period from 2011 to 2016.

The new PureCircle plant-based  flavor enhancers will allow product developers to reduce the amounts of cocoa and vanilla along with sugar and not compromise taste.

“We are excited to have an opportunity to meet new needs of our customers by introducing these flavor enhancers that specifically address cocoa and vanilla,” said Faith Son, head of marketing and innovation for PureCircle, in the statement. “We strive to uncover new properties within the stevia leaf, and this breakthrough enables us to service new markets and customers in a meaningful way.  PureCircle is committed to maximising the full potential extracted from each leaf, and we believe our ability to reduce sugar and enhance key flavor tonalities naturally will be a winning combination.”

(Published on WholeFoods Magazine Online 7/18/17)