Seminar Schedule....

The growing focus on natural and "better for you" options in the marketplace today are driving formulators and consumers to seek out new ways to satisfy their sweet tooth... but still stay in shape for swimsuit season.
“Natural”, “No Artificial”, and increasingly “Lower Calorie” are important to nearly all demographics of consumers. Stevia can be an ideal solution to reducing calories, maintaining a natural labeling, and meeting customers growing need to support a healthy lifestyle. Stevia’s longstanding history in various regions as a natural sweetener adds to its overall appeal. But moving forward with it on a commercial scale dictates considering the purity, the composition, consistency of product and the assurance of quality that your supplier can supply.
            The Stevia leaf is a complex organism with varying levels of key sweet and taste components known as steviol glycosides, with the primary glycoside for sweetness being Rebaudioside-A or Reb-A. 
Suitable for a wide variety of applications from beverage to confectionary to dairy and even baked goods, Stevia doesn’t present any new problems as compared to other HIS - it is more about getting familiar with the ingredient and understanding the needs of your customer and the consumer. Ultimately, Stevia, as with all sweeteners, is formulation-specific, and it is important to work with your supplier to find the right balance in your formulation to provide the taste profile you desire. Stevia’s presence as the go-to solution for naturally sweetened products is increasing every day.

Adams Berzins is a food scientist at Corn Products International working on sweetener applications research and development providing formulation-specific solutions for sweetener challenges. He has a broad range of formulation experience that entails dairy (fluid and fermented), beverages, fruit preparations, bakery, sauces and more. He is a member of IFT, AACC, and ISBT. He previously worked at David Michael & Co. and received his B.S. from Ursinus College.