Global Stevia Institute on Stevia history & benefits
Merisant poised to launch its natural origin sweetener Pure Via™ and to promote the work of the Global Stevia Institute on Stevia history & benefits
• Pure Via™, a Stevia-based, natural origin, low-calorie sweetener will help contribute to a healthier lifestyle for UK consumers
• Pure Via™ has already achieved more than 60% market share and attracted close to 2 million consumers in France
• Merisant is committed to promoting the educational work of the Global Stevia Institute (GSI) to further science-based education of Stevia’s health benefits and its expansion in Europe
• Pure Via TM will carry the Stevia PureCircle® trust mark, highlighting its sustainable source of Stevia supply from the global leader in high purity stevia extracts
September 23rd 2011; Ahead of the introduction of its Stevia-based sweetener Pure Via™ in the UK, Merisant today unveils an education initiative with the GSI to increase awareness and understanding of the origin and benefits of the stevia plant in the UK marketplace among UK health professionals and consumers.
Merisant is a global leader in tabletop sweeteners with a strong position in Europe, and in particular, the UK. Pure Via™ was developed following numerous years of research and development for the European market and has been designed to specifically match European tastes. To create Pure Via™, high purity Stevia extracts are blended with other ingredients of natural origin to deliver a superior taste profile and experience. Its natural origin, taste and low-calorie content mean that it is a great addition for UK consumers.
Relying on its high expertise and knowledge of sweeteners, Merisant has decided to use the resources of the GSI established by PureCircle, the global leader and supplier of the high purity Stevia extract (Reb A) used in Pure Via™. It is critical that Merisant promotes accurate and science-based information about Stevia, and by tapping into the expertise of the GSI and its board of scientific advisors comprising of nutritionists, medical doctors, and health educators, Merisant is helping to build broader awareness within the context of natural health and wellness trends that continues to be a focal point for consumers in the UK and Europe.
Merisant also welcomes the GSI board expansion in Europe with the contributions of Dr. Margaret Ashwell OBE from the UK.
Hugues Pitre, Merisant Vice-President & Managing Director EAME, explains “Merisant has pioneered the application of the Stevia plant in table-top sweeteners and created the Whole Earth Sweetener Company (WesCo) in order to dedicate specific resource to the development of all-natural products. We launched Pure Via™ in France last year and the brand has been extremely successful, achieving tremendous growth and the number one position in the market. With this strong track record and its intimate knowledge of the category across Europe, Merisant is now particularly well positioned to introduce Pure Via™ into the UK market.”
About Merisant
Merisant was formed in 2000 to manufacture and market the world’s most popular tabletop sweeteners, Equal® and Canderel®, and over a dozen other available formats. Today, the Group owns 19 brands in over 90 countries. With over 500 employees positioned globally – diverse, inspired and dedicated to continuing to expand the incredible successes of these well-established and premium brands. From the start, Merisant has aimed to raise the bar through continued global expansion, by broadening its audience through new products, and improving productivity through technological advances. The Group strives to develop products which answer consumers’ specific needs to help improve their lifestyle on a daily basis.
About the Global Stevia Institute
The Global Stevia Institute (GSI) is an educational resource for the industry and public focused on educating health professionals, food and beverage manufacturers, public affairs leaders, and consumers about the benefits of incorporating a plant-based sweetener stevia into the diet. Its mission is to provide accurate and consistent, science-based information about stevia as more and more people are looking for natural options to control sugar and calorie levels without sacrificing taste. The GSI is governed by an international advisory board of leading health professionals including MDs, PhDs, university professors, nutritionists, and award‐winning authors specializing in obesity, nutrition, endocrinology, biochemistry and food regulations
