Hartwall is pleased with the European Commission’s decision to approve steviol glycosides for use as a sweetener in foods. The new, calorie-free sweetener from a natural source (stevia rebaudiana) will revolutionise the beverage market. Hartwall will launch the first stevia-based beverages on the market as soon as legislation permits it in December.
The European Commission adopted a regulation on 14 November authorising the use of sweetener steviol glycosides in several food categories within the European Union.
Steviol glycosides, often referred to as stevia, is a calorie-free sweetener derived from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana plant. Stevia has been used for a long time around the world. Indigenous people in South America have used stevia for sweetening tea and food for centuries. In Japan, it has been used to sweeten foods and beverages for decades. The food and drink industries in the United States, Australia and Switzerland have also recently adopted stevia.
“ The new sweetener will revolutionise the Finnish beverage market and the food industry in general. Naturalness and well-being are increasingly important criteria for consumers. With stevia, we are able to offer consumers products that combine these qualities in a completely new way,” says Ann-Mari Hämäläinen, Marketing and Communications Director at Hartwall.
Hartwall wants to develop the Finnish beverage market and has been researching the use of stevia to sweeten beverages for a long time.
“We have researched and tested stevia for several years. It is well suited to the sweetening of beverages. Steviol glycosides are three hundred times sweeter than sugar, and yet the sweetener is derived from a natural source,” says Hannele Alakarhu, Product Development Manager at Hartwall.
According to the European Union regulation, beverages sweetened with stevia may be sold in EU countries from 2 December 2011. Hartwall will introduce the first beverages sweetened with stevia to the Finnish market in early December (2.12.2011).
Stevia makes Hartwall Jaffa Super!
The first stevia based beverage to be sold in Finland will be one of Finland’s most popular soft drink brands, Hartwall Jaffa.
In Hartwall Jaffa Super, lightness and naturalness are combined with a super good taste. The sweetness of the beverage comes from a splash of fructose along with steviol glycosides. The new beverages contain 20 kilocalories/100 ml.
The traditional Hartwall Jaffa Veriappelsiini, which has been on the market since 1955, will now be called Super. The lively red beverage has a refreshing, fruity character with a taste of blood orange. Hartwall Jaffa Super Sitrus, on the other hand, combines the popular flavours of orange and lemon. As with all Hartwall Jaffa beverages, the new Jaffa Super beverages contain only natural flavours.
The Hartwall Super Veriappelsiini and Sitrus soft drinks sweetened with steviol glycosides and fructose will arrive in stores in Finland on the first days of December, when the sale of drinks sweetened with stevia becomes possible.
Hartwall Novelle Friss - thanks to stevia now even lighter than before
Another brand to use steviol glycosides will be Hartwall Novelle – Finland’s leading brand of water. Starting in January, the refreshing Novelle Friss drinks will be 30 percent lighter than before thanks to stevia. The slightly carbonated Novelle Friss combines naturalness, lightness and a refreshing fruity taste, so the beverages are a perfect fit for those who want to treat themselves to something indulgent while still looking after their wellbeing.
The refreshing taste of the renewed Novelle Friss Sitrus and Marja-Sitrus drinks comes from real fruits and berries, while the sweetness comes from steviol glycosides and fructose. The delicately green Novelle Friss Sitrus drink, with its grapefruit, lime and lemon flavours, contains only 7 kilocalories/100 ml, just like the light reddish Marja-Sitrus beverage. In this beverage, grapefruit is joined by red grapefruit and cranberry.
The renewed Hartwall Novelle Friss beverages will be available in stores from 23 January 2012.
Further information:
Taru Tuominen, Communications Manager, Hartwall Ltd, taru.tuominen@hartwall.fi, tel. +358 20 717 2073