In 2018, consumers can’t visit a grocery store, coffee shop, or wellness blog without coming across stevia. The market for this natural sweetener has grown tremendously in recent years, with stevia-included product introductions increasing by 25% in 2017 alone. Moreover, mainstream, stevia-sweetened brands like Bai and the upstart ice cream sensation Halo Top have seen massive sales, showing no signs of slowing down – US stevia sales are expected to grow by 7% per year until 2022.
Stevia’s explosive growth in recent years is all the more impressive when one recalls its utterly lackluster market launch.
When stevia was made available to the public in 2008, it was deemed ‘the holy grail of sweeteners’, thanks to its superior sweetness, natural derivation and low-caloric value. Needless to say, the hype was substantial. However, as industry analyst Mike Richardson warned, “It’s sort of a two-stage thing for these products to be successful – getting FDA approval and then getting consumer approval.”
The former received approval, but at least in the early going, the latter did not. In 2013, five full years after stevia’s market launch, the BBC’s lead for an article about stevia read: “Mention ‘stevia’ to someone and you may well get a quizzical look, as if you’re failing to grasp some unknown language.”
A holy grail, stevia was not. At least not yet.
What changed between 2013 and now? Primarily, consumers have become more and more aware of the threat sugar poses to their health, putting them at risk for heart disease, diabetes and a host of other debilitating illnesses. Compounding this fact were the disturbing revelations of Big Sugar’s insidious campaign to keep its detrimental health effects under wraps, and what many believe to be sugar’s highly addictive nature.
Unsurprisingly, consumers have started running away from sugar in droves, seeking out sugar-free diets like Keto and Whole 30, along with sugar-free sweetening solutions that are healthy, safer than artificial sugar substitutes, and can match up to the taste of sugar without any chemical aftertaste -- sweetening solutions like stevia.
And just like that, in only five short years, stevia went from a relative unknown, to a major force in the sweetening industry.
At the forefront of this veritable stevia renaissance are brands like Pyure, constantly innovating products to meet the ever-increasing demands of sugar-skeptics turned stevia-believers. From granular stevia packets, delivering the mouthfeel of sugar without the aftertaste of chemical sweeteners, to their revolutionary line of stevia syrups for coffee, smoothies, breakfast and beyond.
The reach of these stevia brands go even beyond consumer facing products. Just last year, Pyure introduced Pyure Trio, a proprietary blend of Reb A, C and D that adds up to one great tasting, economic alternative to Reb A. With its upfront sweetness, sucrose like profile and unmatched solubility, it’s the premier solution for sweetening carbonated, mid-calorie soft-drinks and a host of other beverages.
Needless to say, stevia has come a long way from its stumble onto the market in 2008. Innovations not only in premium stevia products, but the quality of stevia itself have led to an exponential increase in consumer adoption, as consumers continue to learn that not all stevia is created equal.
As the stevia renaissance continues, and consumers increasingly demand healthier alternatives to sugar, brands like Pyure that are organic, Non-GMO, calorie-free, all while offering superior taste, will continue to lead the way