PureCircle stevia company information and manufacturer of natural no calorie sweetener

2011
Germany-based sugar producer Nordzucker and Malaysian stevia supplier PureCircle have formed a new, equally-owned joint venture, called NP Sweet, to sell stevia in Northern and Eastern Europe as soon as regulatory approval for the ingredient is confirmed in the European Union.

2010
PureCircle (The International Stock Exchange, London: PURE), the world's leading producer of naturally zero-calorie sweeteners, including stevia-derived Reb A, today announced that it will formally launch its effort to help reduce obesity in the United States by joining the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF). A first-of-its-kind endeavor, the HWCF involves the collaboration of more than 40 members of the food and beverage industry, retailers and diverse non-governmental organizations. The group aims to provide and promote solutions that will help people achieve a healthy weight by balancing the calories they consume with the calories they burn. The HWCF's efforts will help provide people with the tools to achieve energy balance. These efforts will focus on three key areas: the marketplace, the workplace and schools." Now more than ever, businesses, schools and communities are demanding convenient, more appealing ways to manage calories," said Magomet Malsagov, CEO and Managing Director of PureCircle. "As the global market leader in stevia production for the last decade, PureCircle is uniquely positioned to help these groups cut calories in the products they manufacture, serve and buy. Our company is proud to be the first of its kind to join the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, and we look forward to working to reduce obesity by 2015."Stevia was first included in tabletop sweeteners and beverages, and has quickly made its way into other categories because of its ability to naturally reduce calories. Thirty-five countries across six continents have now launched a stevia-sweetened product. According to Mintel, in 2010, 102 new products sweetened with stevia have been launched, with 37 new products launched in March alone. "We are pleased that PureCircle has joined the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation," said Lisa Gable, Executive Director of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation. "We look forward to working with them as they help consumers achieve lifelong healthy habits through balancing calories in and calories out."

About
PureCircle is a pioneer in the extraction of natural goodness from plants and a leading global producer of natural high-intensity sweeteners, including high-purity Rebaudioside A (Reb A). The company has a vertically integrated supply chain operating in three continents. Activities range from breeding of proprietary stevia varieties, sourcing of dry stevia leaves and extraction, and purification of extracts into sweetening ingredients to the marketing of these ingredients to food and beverage manufacturers worldwide. PureCircle is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market with the ticker symbol: LSE.PURE.

2010
PureCircle Ltd. and Imperial Sugar Company announced the launch of a new venture that could take the mystery out of stevia for product formulators. Natural Sweet Ventures LLC ("Natural Sweet") is a joint venture between the two sweetener companies with the goal of combining the age-old preferred flavor of sugar with the hot no-calorie sweetener on the block, stevia. The new venture will allow creative solutions for food and beverage product formulators with applications that are familiar (liquids, crystals, sprays) that are easy to adopt (pH stable) and will address consumer demand for natural, lower-glycemic and non-genetically modified sweetener ingredients.

2009
Paraguay Vende, the economic growth program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in conjunction with the government of Paraguay, have signed a cooperation and mutual investment agreement with global stevia firm, PureCircle, to promote the cultivation of stevia in the south of Paraguay. The technical assistance of the Economic Service Center South Corridor of Paraguay Vende to the company PureCircle South America SA begins with a diagnosis and a business plan, and focuses on assisting in the formation of production basins of Ka'a he'e (Stevia) in the Department of Itapua. To this end, the South Corridor seeks to contract and assume the costs of specialized advisers and consultants. PureCircle Corporate VP of Supply Chain Dorn Wenninger said, “This is a very significant development for the Reb A and stevia industries. The decision by USAID and the government of Paraguay to select and invest with PureCircle, illustrates the enormous commercial opportunities and socioeconomic benefits that stevia cultivation is bringing to South America. This is a very proud and significant day for stevia in the region.” The signing of the agreement was to be attended by the Governor of Itapúa, Mr. John Afara and the Secretary of Production and Regional Development, Ing. Lucio Cañete. Representing PureCircle South America S.A., Mr. Fernando Gonzalez, and in representation of Paraguay Vende, Reinaldo Penner.

PureCircle Announces Partnership with Cerilliant
In 2009, PureCircle entered into an agreement with Cerilliant Corporation (Round Rock, Texas) for the global supply of Certified Reference Materials and validated analytical methods for stevia-based sweeteners.

The successful introduction of PureVia Reb A natural sweetener by PureCircle, means there is a requirement to ensure the quality of products containing Reb A. PureVia Reb A is a natural product originating from the leaves of the stevia plant. PureCircle and Cerilliant have partnered to create the high-quality reference materials necessary for testing stevia-based products, from raw material to the finished sweetener, PureVia Reb A. Certified reference materials from Cerilliant will provide food and beverage manufacturers assurance that their products meet the highest standards for safety, quality and consistency and are not adulterated.

“We are delighted to announce this partnership,” said Jordi Ferre, General Manager of PureCircle USA. “Innovation activity has been intense following FDA GRAS in December. We are the world’s largest producer of Reb A, and it is important to us that companies using our ingredients use validated analytical methods and high-quality reference materials to determine that Reb A containing products meet requirements for food use. Cerilliant, a well-known provider of high-quality reference materials, can provide this independent expertise, as well as, an extensive range of certified stevia reference.”

Cerilliant CEO, Sherri Pogue, stated, “We are very excited to partner with PureCircle to bring high-quality certified reference materials of Reb A and related compounds to market. PureCircle’s reputation for quality blends well with our philosophy of providing only high-quality products and services. Cerilliant’s triple ISO accreditations and manufacturing to cGMP standards provides assurance that Cerilliant certified reference materials are produced and tested to the highest industry standards. We have been supporting the forensic, clinical and pharmaceutical industries for many years and are pleased to bring our expertise in high-quality reference materials to the food and beverage industry.”

“PureCircle is committed to leadership in the Reb A market,” said Jordi Ferre. “Our advanced quality systems and large-scale manufacture and vertical integration ensure that we can deliver consistent quality while ensuring the highest standards of sustainability that our commercial customers expect of us. These are exciting times for PureVia™ Reb A.”


PureCircle (LSE:PURE) is a leading producer of high-purity Rebaudioside A (Reb A), with a vertically integrated supply chain operating in three continents. PureCircle markets a range of natural sweeteners internationally. Activities range from the sourcing of dry stevia leaves and extraction, refining of Reb A into sweeteners and marketing of these sweeteners to food and beverage manufacturers worldwide.

PureCircle’s extraction plant can produce 1,000 MT of stevia extract annually, which is currently the world’s largest extraction facility. This is set to increase to 4,000 MT in March 2009. The Company has built the world’s largest state-of-the-art refining plant in Malaysia. This currently produces 1,000 MT of high-purity Reb A and work has started to double this capacity to 2,000 MT. The Company’s production facilities operate in compliance with cGMP, HACCP and ISO standards.

PureCircle’s investment in research and development has given it a leadership position in the manufacture of high-purity Reb A, and their scientists are globally recognized experts in their field.

The Company works with independent farmers in Thailand, China, Paraguay, Laos and Kenya to grow the best quality stevia leaf. PureCircle works closely with communities in each of these countries and endeavors to maximize the social, economic and environmental benefits of its operations.

PureCircle’s corporate offices are located in New Jersey USA; Asuncion, Paraguay; Geneva, Switzerland; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Ganzhou, China and Kericho, Kenya.

About Cerilliant
Cerilliant Corporation, located in Round Rock, Texas, is a global leader in providing analytical reference standards to the analytical testing community. The company has been providing certified reference materials almost 30 years. Cerilliant offers more than 3,400 catalog products and a full range of custom products and services that address the stringent and complex requirements of the forensic/toxicology, diagnostic/clinical, environmental, natural products, and pharmaceutical industries. Cerilliant sustains a modern, robust quality system, which incorporates cGMP, GLP and ISO requirements.

About PureVia Reb A
High-purity Reb A is the world’s first all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener derived from the Stevia Rebaudiana plant.