The global provider of specialty ingredients introduces a novel dro-in stevia sweetener and clean label innovation solution, PureCircle Clean Taste Solubility Solution (CTSS). The ingredient is 100 times more soluble than Reb M stevia and enables 100% sugar reduction.

“PureCircle CTSS is a novel stevia solution which is unmatched in taste performance and is an excellent soluble,” Nate Yates, CEO of PureCircle by Ingredion, tells Food Ingredients First. “It is a non-GMO stevia-only sweetener with no additives to achieve taste and solubility performance.”

“Unlike other stevia solubility solutions on the market, CTSS does not require multiple INS numbers; it is 100% stevia leaf extract and can be used to achieve ten sucrose sweetness equivalence, wheras other products are limited," adds Yates.

The sweetener provides the sensory performance of sugar without the need for the application of additives during the manufacturing process. According to a global consumer panel and extensive sensory testing better, it performs better taste-wise when compared to sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame potassium (Ace K) and all other stevia ingredients.

Sensory test
Ingredion conducted a global consumer and sensory research study to test different sweetening solutions in beverage applications. The sweeteners included CTSS, Reb M, other stevia solutions and common artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame and ace K. The study included 1,250 respondents across five countries.

“The study demonstrated sensory performance and consumer preference for CTSS compared to other stevia solutions and artificial sweeteners. In some instances, it is even being performed in reduced sugar applications in comparison to fully sugar-sweetened solutions,” Yates states.

“Ingredion’s trained sensory panel conducted extensive tasting, comparing with single glycosides as well as artificial sweeteners to highlight the key sweet taste attributes and the benefits of the CTSS.”

According to the spokesperson, the release of the product comes at the right time, as new product launches with “no added sugar” claims have a CAGR of 4.24% globally (2020-2023), according to Innova Market Insights data for 2023.

“However, there was a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on this space wher solubility had previously been a challenge for previous stevia solutions. This is wher PureCircle went back to the stevia leaf to look for a better solution to solve taste and solubility performance. This was the emphasis for developing CTSS.”

Application opportunities
According to Yates, there are a multitude of potential applications for CTSS across food and beverage categories. “While CTSS is designed to help product developers overcome solubility-specific hurdles in formulation, CTSS provides unparalleled taste performance.”

“Our team of sugar reduction experts are here to help brands find the best solutions for their product’s needs. CTSS consistently performs exceptionally well even when compared to other solutions like Reb M or artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and sucralose.”

Yates highlights that its sugar-reduction ingredients are meant to solve specific category-driven formulation challenges faced by food and beverage brands today. “CTSS is the latest breakthrough in PureCircle’s industry-leading stevia portfolio. It is a perfect extension of our robust offering of Clean Taste Solutions.”

“We understand companies do not have ‘sugar reduction’ challenges, they have a nutritional beverage formulation challenge, a yogurt formulation challenge and so on.”

He argues that Clean Taste Solutions targets the specific needs of product formulators for their unique product taste profile, sugar reduction target, and other formulation needs to create the ideal eating experience. “CTSS not only provides a delightful, sweet taste but also solves the added solubility challenge product developers have struggled with previously with stevia.”

Finally, discussing the measures Ingredion has taken to ensure the scalability and accessibility of CTSS for food and beverage manufacturers globally, he adds: “Everything we are doing is stemming from the stevia plant. We announced in April our newly granted plant breeders’ rights to help us protect and invest in stevia varietals, which produce a better yield of steviol glycosides.”

“Additionally, we are always looking for ways to utilize our stevia technologies, like our patented bioconversion process, to help broaden the access and scale of the best-tasting stevia ingredients,” Yates concludes.