April 12, 2022 — Food & Beverage Asia interviewed and profiled HOWTIAN in an in-depth feature discussing stevia’s adoption among consumers in recent years, the yet-untapped potential of Asian markets, and the next generation of stevia products. Tom Fuzer, VP of Market Strategy, shares insights on marketplace trends and innovation in the stevia industry.
“The stevia market has increased rapidly over the last decade or so, and the growth is projected to continue in the coming years,” he continued. “Industry experts forecast an annual growth rate of 8-9% in the next 6-7 years, so the outlook is very promising. With these dynamics, stevia is one of the fastest-growing sweeteners, way ahead of the others mentioned.”
This is so especially in Asia, where he identified Japan as one of the most mature stevia makets globally. The region is tapped as having the highest potential for growth for stevia. “There are still many untapped opportunities in this part of the world,” he said. “Despite providing more than 80% of the global production, stevia is still relatively unknown among Chinese consumers. The growth potential is also huge in India and SouthEast Asia.”
The HOWTIAN agricultural science centre and their R&D laboratories have developed new leaf variants with third and fourth generation minor glycosides for further applications. For stronger sugar reduction, he continued, these products and HOWTIAN’s signature blends deliver a sensorial experience.
Fuzer said: “Our R&D team is focused on innovating to make naturally extracted, high-quality stevia much more accessible for markets around the world… Our mission is to bring the best stevia solutions closer to people and change its current position as a high cost, niche, luxury sweetener. Our agricultural science team is continuously developing new leaf variants that provide excellent taste with even better yield.
Read the full article at Food & Beverage Asia here.
