Partnerships Create New Economic Opportunities for Tobacco
Farmers In North
Carolina to Grow Sustainable, Highly-Sought After Crop
Supplying Stevia Sweeteners to Food and Beverage
Companies
CHICAGO, Dec. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PureCircle
(LSE: PURE), the world's leading producer and innovator of
great-tasting stevia sweeteners for the global beverage and food
industries, announces a new stevia farming program in the United States. The program will provide
economic opportunities for tobacco farmers looking for a
sustainable crop which is in high demand by the global food and
beverage industry.
Photo -
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This past fall, PureCircle partnered with North Carolina farmers to successfully plant
and harvest StarLeaf™ stevia in small trial plots. PureCircle and
its partner-farmers will significantly increase commercial
production of StarLeaf™ stevia for the next planting season.
PureCircle's StarLeaf™ is a variety of the stevia plant that
contains rich amounts of the most sugar-like tasting, zero-calorie
stevia sweeteners. The project in North
Carolina is part of PureCircle's global program to scale up
StarLeaf™ production, while also providing domestically grown
stevia to the North American market.
The trials this fall confirmed stevia grows well in soil and
climate conditions that were conducive to growing tobacco.
With the declining demand for tobacco, stevia cultivation offers
farmers in North Carolina the
opportunity to increase returns and productivity of their
acreage.
Stevia is becoming the preferred zero-calorie sweetener among
consumers and consumer product companies. The percentage of
beverage and food products launched containing stevia increased by
13% in Q2 2017 compared to Q2 2016. StarLeaf™ stevia will
help companies accelerate launches of reduced and
zero-calorie products by making available sweeteners with the most
sugar-like taste derived from a plant-based source.
James Foxton, Vice President
of Agricultural Operations at PureCircle,
said:
"We are proud to introduce stevia as a crop in North
Carolina. This program will boost the economic prospects of
agriculture in that state by providing a viable alternative to
tobacco. We look forward to working together with farmers in
expanding stevia production and establishing a North American
stevia supply chain for PureCircle.
About PureCircle
- PureCircle is the only company that combines advanced R&D
with full vertical integration from farm to high-quality,
great-tasting innovative stevia sweeteners.
- The Company collaborates with farmers who grow the stevia
plants and with food and beverage companies which seek to improve
their low- and no-calorie formulations using a sweetener from
plants.
- PureCircle will continue to: lead in research, development and
innovation; produce a growing supply of multiple varieties of
stevia sweeteners with sugar-like taste, using all necessary and
appropriate methods of production; and be a resource and innovation
partner for food and beverage companies.
- PureCircle stevia flavor modifiers work in synergy with
sweeteners to improve the taste, mouthfeel and calorie profile, and
enhance the cost effectiveness, of beverage and food products.
- For more information, visit: www.purecircle.com
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