Tate & Lyle and stevia partner Sweet Green Fields (SGF) have jointly launched their newest product innovation – ZOLESSE Natural Flavor. ZOLESSE, a new natural flavor (per FDA definition), supports an effort to help food and beverage manufacturers to “deliver great-tasting products that meet ever-growing consumer demand for cost-effective clean label ingredients.”

“ZOLESSE is a true formulator-friendly flavor solution,” Dr. Mel Jackson, Chief Science Officer for SGF tells FoodIngredientsFirst. “It eases the concern of formulators who believe consumers may be sensitive to stevia products when reading ‘steviol glycosides’ or ‘stevia extracts’ on the label. Plus, ZOLESSE creates no application hurdle, since it has a negligible effect on the original taste of the products.”

ZOLESSE is a glycosylated steviol glycoside that complies with FEMA GRAS 4845 and labels as natural flavor. This enables manufacturers to maintain a short ingredients list, Dr. Jackson says. “When it is used in combination with stevia sweeteners it modifies the overall taste and sweetness giving a more rounded profile with reduced bitterness and less lingering aftertaste, helping formulators to achieve the taste they want. For customers interested in cost optimization, ZOLESSE delivers up to 20-30 percent better cost-in-use vs. other stevia flavors,” he notes.

In 2018, Tate & Lyle acquired a 15 percent equity holding in Sweet Green Fields, one of the largest privately held, fully integrated global stevia ingredient firms, in a deal which brought the two companies closer together after they have already been in a worldwide distribution deal.

According to an Innova Market Insights March 2018 report entitled; “On-Trend Reformulation: Going Clean Label – Tipping Point for a Trend,” consumers are looking for food and beverage products that have a cleaner label. This means the ingredients lists are as short as possible and do not contain items consumers don’t recognize or perceive as artificial or chemical in makeup.

ZOLESSE can be used in a wide range of applications in combination with stevia sweeteners to enable higher levels of sugar reduction with a cleaner taste. It is particularly effective at reducing the bitterness associated with astringent flavors and high-protein products. 

“Sensory data indicate stevia sweetener in combination with ZOLESSE in a 70 percent sugar reduction beverage has less off taste off notes. This means less bitter perception, less sweet linger and less off taste than stevia sweetener alone and is more preferred in sensory testing,” Dr. Jackson explains. “Remarkably this same taste result as the combination can only be achieved by adding more sugar.”

Also speaking with FoodIngredientsFirst, Abigail Storms, Global Vice President, Sweeteners Platform Leader for Tate & Lyle says there “are broad opportunities in this space.”

“Customers look for cleaner label solutions and our natural flavor fits well with that need. The increased use of stevia sweeteners across applications, and being used at higher levels, means that there is more need for products like ZOLESSE to help reduce the bitterness associated with those higher usage levels, so as stevia use continues to grow, so will products like this,” she states.

There will be launches with ZOLESSE in the market very soon, according to Storms. “We’ve seen very positive responses from customers in our pre-launch phase and look forward to a range of products launching soon making use of this natural flavor,” she adds. 

SGF and Tate & Lyle have been working in partnership for more than two years, and this is one of many new products that they are launching together to meet the needs of the market, Storms reveals. “We both see the benefit in adding this product to our full stevia portfolio.”

The Tate & Lyle and SGF portfolio of stevia sweeteners are seeing growth in all regions and across nearly all categories, as customers look for new and improved solutions to sugar and calorie reduction.

ZOLESSE Natural Flavor also has a great synergy with other stevia products. In addition to working well with stevia, ZOLESSE can also be used with monk fruit extract and sugar, enhancing sweetness intensity.

“ZOLESSE is the perfect addition to our combined portfolio of stevia products,” says Dean Francis, CEO of SGF, referring to the partnership with Tate & Lyle established in 2017. “Together with Tate & Lyle, we are creating the complete toolbox of clean label solutions for use across F&B categories.”

ZOLESSE Natural Flavor is currently available in the US, Mexico, Brazil, Philippines, Indonesia and anywher that FEMA GRAS flavors are accepted. 

Moreover, Storms notes that Tate & Lyle is seeing another wave of interest in Tate & Lyle’s PUREFRUIT Monkfruit sweetener, often used in combination with stevia sweeteners, again delivering a clean taste profile in combination with stevia. “It is another tool in the natural sweetener toolbox, that has great on-pack and taste appeal. We see it as an important sweetener, generally used in combination with stevia,” she adds. 

“We continue to work on regulatory submissions for our full sweetener portfolio to enable higher levels of sugar reduction with a broader portfolio of solutions for use around the world,” concludes Storms. 

Last month, FoodIngredientsFirst interviewed Tate & Lyle Chief Executive, Nick Hampton, who was encouraged by this week’s US news that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will allow the low-calorie sweetener allulose to be excluded from total and added sugars count on Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels when used as an ingredient.

By Elizabeth Green