PureCircle Successfully Produces New StarLeaf(TM) Stevia Extract With High Degree of Sugar-Like Taste

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PureCircle (PURE.LSE), the world's leading producer and innovator of great-tasting stevia ingredients for the global beverage and food industry, today announces the successful production of the first stevia leaf extract from the new, breakthrough, proprietary stevia leaf - StarLeaf™ stevia.

StarLeaf stevia contains over 20 times more sugar-like steviol glycoside content compared to standard stevia leaf varieties. The extract from this non-GMO proprietary leaf variety provides beverage and food developers a plant-based, zero-calorie sweetener to produce finished products with more upfront sweetness, no bitter linger and a sugar-like taste.

Based on this successful production, PureCircle has expanded this variety to commercial scale and will plant it in thousands of hectares. When these plants are harvested, customers will benefit from increased availability of these sugar-like glycosides. This new variety will support developers in achieving deeper levels of sugar reduction in their final products without sacrificing taste.

The StarLeaf stevia leaf is a product of the company's long term investment of $100 million in its PureCircle Stevia Agronomy Program, announced last year. This program has a history of providing agricultural breakthroughs in stevia development. The Program supports PureCircle's goal of creating the world's largest, non-GMO stevia supply from plant to ingredient, to meet the demands of the global food and beverage industry.  

Commenting on the planting of StarLeaf stevia for commercial production, James Foxton, Vice President of Agricultural Operations, said:

"This leaf is the result of our significant investment in agronomic research, and we are delighted to plant for the commercial production of StarLeaf stevia extract. We work tirelessly with our customers to achieve deeper sugar reductions to maintain the great taste of their products. StarLeaf stevia will significantly support those efforts."

"The steviol glycosides in StarLeaf stevia are the most sought because they taste so similar to sugar. We are proud to be the first in the industry to naturally increase the supply of these steviol glycosides in this way."

StarLeaf stevia is pollinated by PureCircle's thousands of bees, which are integral to the growth and development of StarLeaf stevia.

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About PureCircle

• PureCircle is the only company that combines advanced R&D with full vertical integration from farm to high-quality innovative stevia sweeteners.
• The Company collaborates with farmers who grow the stevia plants and with food and beverage companies which seek to improve their low- and no-calorie formulations using a sweetener from plants.
• PureCircle will continue to: lead in research, development and innovation; produce a growing supply of multiple varieties of stevia sweeteners using all necessary and appropriate methods of production; and be a resource and innovation partner for food and beverage companies.
• For more information, visit: www.purecircle.com.