PureCircle received the World Dairy Innovation Award for Best Environmental Sustainability Initiative from FoodBev Media, which recognizes the company’s pioneering work integrating sustainable practices into every stage of its vertical stevia supply chain.

The company was presented with the award during the gala dinner at the 8th Global Dairy Congress in Istanbul yesterday, and PureCircle’s Corporate Sustainability Director Ajay Chandran expressed his gratitude while explaining that the company’s goals also keep the planet’s health in mind.

“Our mission is to mainstream stevia as the next natural origin sweetener for food and beverage products worldwide,” Chandran said. “We’re delighted and grateful to be recognized for our sustainability efforts. But more importantly, we want to set an example for the wider stevia and ingredient industry to follow—one that respects people and the planet, while protecting long term profits.”

Beginning with a vision
PureCircle took a leadership role in the emerging category of high-purity stevia ingredients when it embedded principles of sustainability into all aspects of its supply chain—from farming to extraction and purification. At each stage of its supply chain, PureCircle has forged industry-leading practices. Working with 25,000 independent farmers across four continents, the company supports sustainable agricultural practices—including safe agrochemical use and water and land conservation. Stevia growth uses a third or less of the land needed for other ‘sweet’ crops.

Not only has PureCircle initiated the first industry ‘Calorie Footprint’; it was the first company in the category to publish its carbon and water footprint. These practices were woven into the company’s 2020 sustainability goals, which are to reduce its carbon intensity by 20 percent from its 2011 baseline and enable a cumulative reduction of the food & beverage industry’s:

“It is patently clear that stevia has tremendous potential to benefit health and wellness from a calorie standpoint,” Chandran said. “We propose that along with calorie reductions, PureCircle stevia also is an extremely sustainable ingredient that can benefit the planet and the wider eco-system of 25,000 independent farmers with whom we work.”

Stevia & dairy
Consumers perceive dairy not only as a “healthy category,” but also one where taste and indulgence is key to purchase and satisfaction. Stevia, because of its natural origin is an obvious fit for use in dairy products. PureCircle Stevia 3.0™—which combines a portfolio of proprietary stevia ingredients and ‘sweet’ technical expertise—helps dairy developers achieve great taste and mouth feel in dairy products by tailoring formulations for each application. Great tasting dairy products can be formulated at various levels of caloric reduction, whether that figure is 30 percent, 50 percent or 80 percent fewer calories.