Stevia Market

The Global stevia market is projected to witness significant growth, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.20% during the forecast period 2023-2030. The key factors driving the growth of the stevia market are the growing number of people suffering from diabetes and obesity coupled with the increased levying of taxes by government bodies on sugar-sweetened beverages as well as growing innovations by key players. However, stringent government regulations are expected to restrict the market's growth during the forecast period. Furthermore, wide usage of stevia in various applications is anticipated to create growth opportunities for the market.

The curbing population coupled with the large number of people suffering from diabetes as well as obesity coupled with the increased inclination towards plant-based sweeteners such as stevia owing to the various benefits provided by it such weight management, diabetes control, reduces the risk of pancreatic cancer, helps reduce blood pressure and many more are likely to positively influence its market growth. As a part of this, according to Diabetes Research Institute, in 2018, 10.5% of Americans, or 34.2 million people, have diabetes. 10.2% of the population, or around 26.8 million people, were projected to have diabetes. There are about 7.3 million diabetics who have not yet received a diagnosis. In addition, there were 1.5 million new cases of diabetes identified in adults in the United States. This includes over 210,000 kids and teenagers under the age of 20.

Apart from this, the increasing initiatives taken by various government bodies operating across various regions to control obesity is likely to propel its market growth. For instance, by improving nutrition advice in local agencies and community sites and looking into a food hub infrastructure, the Alabama Cooperation System's Alabama Preventing and Reducing Obesity programme aids Alabamians for Long-Term Health in expanding access to healthier foods. To connect transportation infrastructure with homes, early care and education programmes, schools, workplaces, parks, and recreational facilities, they are also developing master plans and land use interventions. The Arkansas Delta Region Obesity Programme also works with partners to connect sidewalks, paths, bicycle routes, and public transit with homes, early care and education facilities, schools, workplaces, parks, and recreation centres. Additionally, the programme collaborates with food vendors, distributors, and producers on the purchase and sale of healthier. In addition, the programme is creating healthy eating guidelines in significant institutions. Georgia is concentrating on places like schools, food-selling areas, health departments, churches, and parks where kids and families regularly congregate in the counties of Calhoun, Clay, Dooly, Stewart, and Taliaferro. Georgia is also focusing on logistics, food distribution, and media and social media awareness campaigns. Activities are carried out in local communities, at the county level, and at the regional/state level for a more major systemic change.

Kentucky works with counties to create master plans that promote active living, link residents to popular spots, and provide opportunities for recreation. They are working with schools, religious organisations, after-school programmes, food banks, and other community venues to provide better meals by utilising nutritional criteria and more moral purchasing practises. They are also seeking to boost community access to fruits and vegetables using fruit and vegetable coupons at schools and connections to farmers markets.

The Healthy Access, Behaviours, and Communities II (Healthy ABCs) initiative seeks to promote accessibility to options for healthy diet and exercise by integrating target parishes in complete streets design and implementation and by assessing transportation options. Retailers, farmers markets, faith-based organisations, healthcare organisations, and providers of early care and education are working together to improve nutrition recommendations and expand access to nutrient-dense food. Hence, the growing number of people suffering from diabetes coupled with the increasing initiatives taken by government organizations operating across various regions to promote healthier lifestyle for people suffering from obesity and diabetes is likely to drive its market growth.

The wider inclination of consumers towards stevia owing to the various benefits provided by it such as reduced weight, controlling diabetes and many more, has compelled manufacturers to incorporate them in its product which in turn is a vital factor boosting its market growth. For instance, according to the type of chocolate, sugar, specifically sucrose, makes up between 30 and 70% of the formulation. In addition to sweetness, sugar endows chocolate with a variety of useful qualities, such as a melting profile, texture, taste, and rheological characteristics. These factors make substituting strong sweeteners like stevia for sugars a difficult task when making chocolate confections. When using stevia instead of sugar, bulking agents are essential. Inulin and polydextrose were examined for their effects on physicochemical and sensory qualities in a recent study on sugar-free chocolate that was sweetened with stevia extract. The findings show that the inulin-containing chocolate performed better than full sugar controls on numerous physicochemical measures (melting point, plastic viscosity, and behavior flow index), and was quite comparable to them for overall acceptance and descriptive sensory qualities.

Leading beverage companies use stevia as a natural alternative in several marketing strategies, including innovation, substituting sugar for artificial sweeteners, limiting sugar intake for children, and cost-cutting. Over the past few years, Stevia's geographic and category penetration have accelerated. More than 1500 new beverage products were launched globally between 2012 and 2017 using stevia, including ready-to-drink (RTD) teas, sweetened coffee drinks, carbonated soft drinks (CSDs), flavored waters, juices, and alcoholic beverages. The CSD category is still a top product area for the introduction of new stevia products globally. 2015 saw the release of 25 new stevia-sweetened lemon-lime CSDs and 86 new cola-flavored CSDs. Every type of CSD, including cola, orange, and lemon-lime, has a distinct flavor and acid profile that benefits from the ideal ratio of steviol glycosides to deliver the purest sweetness. A zero-calorie CSD with cola flavor that was developed with two different Rebaudioside A ingredient blends, Reb-A 97 and Reb-A 99, was compared by a sensory panel at PureCircle®. According to test results, Reb-A 99 greatly reduced the bitterness and spice strength of the cola.

A common and often used beverage with broad sensory acceptance among consumers of many age groups and socioeconomic levels is flavored milk, such as chocolate milk. In addition to being a good source of protein, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and niacin, milk is also a good source of calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, and phosphorus. According to studies, kids who drink flavored milk drink more milk overall and have greater nutrition. Unfortunately, flavored milk is also high in added sugars and has come under scrutiny due to rising trends in childhood obesity and overweight. It makes sense to use stevia to lower the sugar level of flavored milk. In a study on factors that affect whether parents buy chocolate milk for their kids, the type of sweetener was found to be the most important factor, followed by fat level. Parents favored sugar or natural, non-nutritive sweeteners over artificial sweeteners as sweeteners. Hence, the growing usage of stevia in various applications such as beverages, confectionary, dairy and many more is set to open huge opportunities for the key players in the upcoming years.

The presence of various strict policies across various regions related to stevia products may serve as a restraining factor during the forecast period. As a part of this, in Europe, stevia extract and leaves must adhere to EU Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 on pollutants in addition to these purity standards. However, any contaminated product may be rejected by customers or banned by EU authorities. This legislation specifies specific contaminant levels for categories of foodstuffs. Microbiological agents, nicotine, mycotoxins, and heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury are among the contaminants evaluated in stevia. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which are frequently present on stevia plants, should be specifically noted by suppliers. Pesticides' maximum residual levels (MRLs) on food are governed by Regulation (EC) No. 396/2005. Stevia leaf extract is a derivative product, hence the same restrictions that apply to raw materials, in this case stevia leaves, also apply proportionately to it. Suppliers of stevia should keep a very tight eye on glyphosate and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) residues.

The European Union developed the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) portal to safeguard food safety. Members of RASFF are notified via a notification in the portal if public health issues are found in the food chain. Products may be recalled from the market because of the information exchanged there.

Whether or not manufacturers want to sell stevia extract to the final consumer will determine which labelling regulations manufacturers must adhere to for stevia extract. Regulation (EC) No. 1333/2008's Chapter IV, labelling, provides more information on this.

Consumer food information standards, including those for sweeteners like stevia extract, are outlined in Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011. According to this legislation, the labelling of foods that contain food additives must include:

The name of its category, i.e., in this case it includes sweetener.Its specific name orIts E number, in this case which includes E960a or E960c.

Additionally, according to Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 (EU 2011), every food that contains a sweetener that has been approved by the EU must have a declaration that reads "with sweetener(s)" next to the word "food." Foods must include "with sugar(s) and sweetener(s)" as a statement next to their name if they contain both added sugar(s) and sweetener(s). If the substance is a tabletop sweetener, it must be identified as a "-based table-top sweetener" in the product's description along with the name(s) of the sweetener(s) it contains. Tabletop sweeteners are free from the requirement for a nutrition statement.

The recent change to the food additives law, which renamed "steviol glycosides (E 960)" as "steviol glycosides from Stevia (E 960a)," was good news for food and beverage producers who utilize stevia extract. The new rule, which is anticipated to go into effect in January 2023, includes a transitional period to allow producers to adopt the new labels. However, companies like Cargill are urging their clients in Europe to update their ingredients labels as soon as possible because doing so will increase consumer awareness of the product's plant source and boost demand for stevia. Hence, the presence of such stringent regulations across various regions may serve as a restraining factor for the market in the upcoming years.

Stevia, a sugar alternative derived from the leaves of the stevia plant, is regarded as a non-nutritive alternative because it contains 0 to no calories per serving. It is made from a plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family, which includes ragweed, daisies, and sunflowers. The plant's refined and extracted glycosides, which come in 8 different varieties, are present in this substance. Although, stevia may serve health benefits. However, some of the side-effects associated with the excess consumption of stevia may serve as a setback for its market growth in the upcoming years. For example, it can damage individuals’ cardiovascular system, kidneys, and reproductive system. In addition, it can also drop blood pressure too low, by reacting with medicines that lower the blood sugar. Moreover, some individuals may experience bloating, nausea, while some may feel dizzy, muscle pain as well as numbness. As a part of this, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives determined that a daily consumption of steviol equivalents is tolerable at 4 milligrams (mg) per kilogram of body weight. This is equivalent to 12 mg of high-purity stevia extracts each day per kilogram of body weight. Over the past few decades, several research have attempted to identify possible stevia side effects; however, most of these studies used lab animals, and many of them have now been proven false.

Stevia does not harm healthy bacteria in the stomach, according to Israeli researchers, but it can cause an imbalance in the gut by impairing the bacteria's ability to communicate with one another and control bodily processes. A balanced gut microbiota has been linked in studies to bettering nearly every element of health, including the immune system, heart, weight, and brain system. Inflammation, a slowed metabolism, and other diseases that cause weight gain can all result from an imbalanced gut. Stevia should be used sparingly to prevent any potential imbalance. More research on stevia's effects is encouraged by the scientists to establish the maximum daily intake that won't harm intestinal health. The objective is to assist food producers in deciding whether to substitute sugar with stevia. Hence, some of the side-effects associated with the excess consumption of stevia may serve as a challenge for its market growth in the upcoming years.