Sustainably Sweet: The Eco-friendly Guide to Greener Food & Beverages

Did you know, there is a world where sweetness and sustainability can come together to produce something exceptional for eco-conscious desserts and beverages? The food and beverage industries are moving in a direction that allows manufacturers to create their consumer’s favourites in a way that pleases both their taste buds and our precious earth.

Sweetness plays an important role in boosting our taste senses to heavenly heights. Traditionally, manufacturers used refined sugar to provide that sweetness and wonderful caramelization to cakes, cookies, fruit juices, and sodas. However, in recent years, health-conscious consumers and manufacturers alike have turned to healthier and more sustainable alternatives.

Distributors, similar to manufacturers and customers, have played a role in ensuring that natural raw materials are sourced. Bragan Ingredients has introduced St. Monk Natural Sweetener, a natural low-calorie sweetener that is a blend of Stevia and Monk Fruit juice concentrate that brings a natural, allergen-free solution to any confectionery and beverage offerings. St Monk provides the world’s first and only homogeneous blend of Stevia extract and Monk Fruit Juice concentrate, which is blended in liquid form and then spray-dried to provide a perfect combination of these two natural sweeteners. Monk Fruit juice has a sweet and gentle aftertaste that persists for a long time, which is associated with the forward and sweet flavour of Stevia. Monk Fruit juice effectively hides the potentially harsh aftertaste associated with Stevia extracts.

Features and benefits of the St. Monk blend:
– Stevia is made from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant, which is indigenous to Paraguay and Brazil, but grown extensively in Asia. It is 200–350 times sweeter than sugar, therefore very little of it is required to match the sweetness of sugar.
– The monk fruit – also known as “luo han guo” or “Buddha fruit”, is a small round fruit grown in Southeast Asia. It is a healthy alternative for those with diabetes because it has no effect on blood sugar levels.
– Stevia and Monk fruits are considered low-energy crops, signifying that their production and transportation require less energy in comparison to crops such as sugar cane or corn, essentially making them safer for the environment, with a lower carbon footprint.

Consumers are now adventurous and enjoy trying new ingredients or forms. Additionally, they are open to altering their preferences and using their purchasing power to influence change – this opens up a whole new universe of possibilities for plant-based food and beverage businesses.