SWT: Who we are, why we do what we do and how we help to make the world a healthier place to live
Beyond delivering incredible, 100% water-processed and sustainably produced Stevia, SWT has made it an integral part of our mission to help improve global health. SWT team members from across Latin America discuss what motivates them to work to form part of the solution to the current global health crisis.
To make the world a healthier and happier place, you need a team that is motivated to work towards success, no matter how difficult it might seem at first. Luckily, working at SWT means being part of a supportive family who help each other to push the boundaries of health and nutrition. We know that if we work together, we will be able to create a world that is healthy, where people can be guaranteed access to quality, nutritious foods.
The difference that people can make as part of SWT is a huge part of the reason that we can welcome Abraham Javey to his new role as Production Manager for SWT Mexico. We look forward to a successful partnership, where we all do our part to change the world for the better. At SWT, we also understand that we need to put the rest of the world first – we work reactively, put people over profits and ensure sustainability is at the heart of everything that we do.
We believe that as a company, we are more than just the sum of our parts – and that you can join us in what we do. Máximo Oliva, part of the SWT office team based in Chile says; “What inspires me most about working for SWT is almost intangible – it is the group of people that work here. The team we form together makes me feel so thankful and it is wonderful to get up and work together with people you really want to work alongside.”
So, as well as 100% all-natural processing facilities and prioritising the use of renewable energy as a cornerstone of our operation, SWT is also trying to help people without meaningful access to healthy food to change their lifestyles for the better as well. If society is serious about making a lasting change in eating habits (and research shows us that we need to be), then we all need to play a part in changing how we live. This is as true for the public sector as it is for government and NGOs, notes Máximo – and this motivates him to work as part of the SWT team where he really feels that he is making a difference to his community and to millions across the world in need of a more sustainable diet.
The obesity pandemic that has gripped the world over the last 20 years has created a public health emergency. In order to do our part in combatting this, SWT has created a range of products and services – for producers and for consumers alike – that will help to reduce waistlines, while providing the opportunity to make body-friendly diet choices much easier to make. “I firmly believe that these problems are from diets” says Mariana Alamos, who works in Mexico City. “I think that a new sweetness, with balanced calories that is health and natural can change the quality of life for many people who are currently suffering”
Mariana notes that since the eradication of wide-scale disease, poor dietary health and the conditions that it brings about have become one of the cause of death across the world. She also thinks that the only way to solve the crisis is to change the way we produce and consume modern food. “I’m [motivated to work here] because I really believe that we are fighting a new disease, born from the massive-scale production of high-sugar products.”
The World Health Organisation recommends less than 25g of free sugars (those added to products) per day, as they contribute to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and working together, we can help to transform the way that people enjoy a balanced diet.
It is important to remember however, that the manner in which we look to make these changes needs to be done with respect to the needs of the planet, and with a high-yield, low-acreage crop like stevia, processed in a completely natural way, SWT are making sure that the future of healthy sweetness is also the future of a healthy planet the future of a healthy working environment too.
Meeting the UK National Food Strategy for Nutrition
It is no secret that modern, commercialised food production methods have had disastrous consequences for our health and overall diet. With the cost of public care increasing and the need to adapt diets to accommodate changes in eating habits that will inevitably be brought about the need to combat climate change, the UK government has commissioned the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition to map out the dietary changes required over the next decade[1].
According to existing UK government research, around 64,000 people in the UK die from poor diet ever year[2] – with more than 50% of over-45s suffering from diseases brought on by the effects of bad food choices[3].
HFSS legislation is due to be introduced in the UK in 2022[4] – giving producers and retailers time to make relevant alterations to product formulation to avoid needing to place visible warnings on food products.
The starkest, and most necessary reductions that should be made are around sugar and HFSS (foods high in Fat, Salt and Sugar). To meet the 25% reduction in HFSS foods, large-scale reformulation of baked goods and other confectionary will inevitably be required. The sugar tax levied some years ago has meant that sugar content is lower[5], but with a 50% reduction still needed to meet targets, there is some distance to go, and the replacement of sugar with alternative sources of sweetness – such as stevia - is likely to be in high demand from major manufacturers.
Outside of the HFSS requirements, the resultant National Food Strategy (NFS) cites the need to reduce sugar intake by 50%. Of the 14 recommendations made by the report, 11 are direct results of sugar-related issues. The widespread adoption of stevia in place of the traditional cane and beet sugars that currently dominate the UK market would allow manufacturers to meet the stringent new requirements with minimum impact to consumers.
With concern that Type 2 Diabetes is likely to cost the National Health Service around £15 billion per year[6] (around 150% of the current annual cancer bill), the UK government is looking to comprehensively transform the state of the national food market, changing public attitudes for the better.
This task will not be easy for producers and manufacturers who are currently in the business – especially those who work in the snack food and confectionary fields. Reformulation with sugar substitutes can be tricky to get right, and there is always the concern that consumers will not enjoy the reformulated products as much as the traditional recipes, particularly if foot texture is affected in the switch away from sugars.
When it comes to successfully executing a reformulation however, SWT Stevia is uniquely placed to help manufacturers and producers to meet the upcoming requirements by providing the sweetness profiles demanded by consumers at the same time as meeting the sugar reduction specifications demanded by UK authorities. With an embedded understanding that consumers are looking to make choices that affect their health without making choices that affect their enjoyment of food, SWT is able to help producers create the same traditional products, with improved formulation.
How a switch to stevia can help meet the first 7 recommendations of the UK National Food Strategy:
Recommendation 1
Introduce a Sugar and Salt Reformulation Tax. Use some of the revenue
to help get fresh fruit and vegetables to low-income families.
Recommendation 2
Introduce mandatory reporting for large food companies.
Recommendation 3
Launch a new “Eat and Learn” initiative for schools.
Recommendation 4
Extend eligibility for free school meals.
Recommendation 5
Fund the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years.
Recommendation 6
Expand the Healthy Start scheme.
Recommendation 7
Trial a “Community Eatwell” Programme, supporting those on low incomes to improve their diets.
As the first 7 recommendations involve government control, promotion, and regulation of food production – to ensure that healthy choices are made where possible – making the switch to stevia early can save producers a significant number of problems in the longer run.
With a focus on a new “Eat and Learn” project designed specifically to help young children to understand the benefits of a balanced diet, the promotion of stevia as a central part of a healthy yet delicious diet allows for a significant change in public attitudes towards the use of alternative sweeteners, which are still on the periphery of some key demographics.
The crux of the initial seven recommendations stems from the dual approach taken by the UK government. While there are heavy educational campaigns recommended as a key stone policy, these are also backed up by a call for transparency and monitoring.
The eligibility of free school meals in Recommendation 4 will be subject to the already stringent existing regulation[7], requiring providers to meet low-sugar and low-fat targets in order to be eligible to supply the food. With the aim to increase the number of school meals provided to pupils, there are major gains available for those companies who make the choice to adapt to the new reality of nutrition first.
Given the ever-increasing taxes on unhealthy food, coupled with the health ramifications of living unsustainably unhealthy lifestyles, the move to alternative sweeteners is, at this point, looking inevitable. For food producers, making the switch sooner rather than later is likely to yield positive results and should form the central pillar of any long-term manufacturing strategy.
[1] National Food Strategy. (2021) available at https://www.nationalfoodstrategy.org/the-report/
[2] Global health data exchange. (2020). Global Burden of Disease, 2019 data. Available at: http://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-2019
[3] National Food Strategy analysis using data from: NHS Digital. (2020). Health Survey for England 2019: Adult’s health.
Available at https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/health-survey-for-england/2019
[4] Promotions of unhealthy foods restricted from October 2022: Department of Health and Social Care (2021). Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/promotions-of-unhealthy-foods-restricted-from-october-2022
[5] Soft Drinks Industry Levy comes into effect: HM Treasury (2018). Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/soft-drinks-industry-levy-comes-into-effect
[6] Hex, N. et al. (2012). Estimating the current and future costs of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in the UK, including direct health costs and indirect societal and productivity costs.
[7] School meals – Healthy eating standards. https://www.gov.uk/school-meals-healthy-eating-standards
SWT Stevia and Juiceinnov8 are working together to transform traditional fruit beverages into low-sugar treats, from Thailand to the rest of the world
“Aside from understanding the natural purification approach by SWT, coupled with their deep knowledge on the foundations of sweetness, we have achieved in very short periods of time products where our customers cannot identify the level of sugar reduction” Sean Traitratkeyoon, JuiceInnov8
Overview
Founded in 2014, Juiceinnov8 has set out to change the way that we enjoy traditional fruit-based drinks.
Using a similar process to the one used in the fermentation of wine, JuiceInnov8 have selected non-GM microbes from organic cultivars and used them to reduce the amount of sugars (and by extension, calories), contained in undiluted fruit juices – allowing producers to create healthy alternatives to traditionally high-sugar products.
The result of this revolutionary technology is a reduced sugar juice, but one that keeps the original flavors and taste entirely intact. This reduced sugar is used as a base, for other juices or beverages.
The partnership between SWT and Juiceinnov8 founder Sean Trairatkeyoon goes back 3 years. Sean, a food technology entrepreneur from Thailand, was involved in a breakthrough in technology used to reduce the sugar content in fruit juices – without affecting the outstanding nutrition or delicious flavour.
Using native yeasts selected and isolated from the peels of the oranges themselves, Juiceinnov8 and SWT have created a process which allows these yeasts to consume much of the sugar within the juice, leaving behind only water and CO2, which, once evaporated, gives consumers nothing but delicious, low-sugar juice that tastes no different from any other natural product, as well as retaining all the beneficial minerals and nutrients inside.
Approach
Natural fruit juices, which were once considered healthy thanks to their high nutrient, antioxidant and mineral content, have fallen out of favour in recent years, due to their high sugar content.
There have been previous attempts to resolve this dilemma – including enzymatic conversion into fibre - but our work with JuiceInnov8 has led to selective fermentation and provided consumers with the freedom to choose an all-natural process, in line with our stevia extraction methods.
To reduce sugar and replace the traditional sugars with identical, but healthy sweetness, we quickly understood the need to solve two key problems. Working closely together, the issues of how to reduce sugar and produce the perfect blend of juices was quickly resolved and the final product was outstanding.
The feedback from clients has been excellent. Sean feels that the flexibility, adaptability and the technical knowledge of the science between sweetness has made a critical difference to product development, and the final juice has proved impossible to distinguish from traditional fruit drinks.
Our results
Our collaboration with Sean and JuiceInnov8 has led to an understanding of the sweetness profiles of the naturally occurring sugars in the juice. The carefully designed product is an incredible, low-sugar drink with 50% less natural sugar than the original juice, while maintaining everything that makes juices natural, healthy and delicious.
JuiceInnov8 launched Incredible™ Juice, a zero sugar juice platform, dedicated for beverage industry in 2021. Incredible™ Juice becomes a building block for the next generations of beverage; from Incredible™ Sparkling Juice with 75% less sugar, to Incredible™ Fruit Tea—a healthier concept with more than 50% less sugar for food service & teahouses in the APAC market.
Product reception
In Thailand, JuiceInnov8 has proved a huge success, with sales in national chains, including Alto Coffee. The company has gone on to win a number of awards for their innovation and for their incredible, healthy juice. Thanks to this success, incredible Juice was a finalist in the Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas 2021 contest – in no small part thanks to the expert technical partnership with SWT that has allowed JuiceInnov8 to return the sweetness to all the products in the Incredible Juice range, without ever compromising on the original taste.
What comes next
Thanks to the technology developed by JuiceInnov8, other fruit juice products can be altered to remove the harmful excess sugars – from full juices to juice-containing products. The expertise gained by SWT in reconstructing sweetness profiles means that for consumers and producers, the difference between a 50% reduced sugar and an untreated juice should prove completely indistinguishable – providing almost limitless possibilities for application.
For JuiceInnov8, a series of exciting collaborations – including with global energy drinks giant Red Bull also beckons.
European Food Safety Authority changes labelling requirements for enzymatically processed Stevia
The European Food Safety Authority, the arm of the European Union responsible for overseeing food safety, hygiene and regulation of food production, has improved the way that products which include Stevia extracts are labelled. Products including steviol glycosides which have not been modified enzymatically will be redesignated as E960a, to help consumers better understand the dietary contents of their food and beverage choices. Enzymatically modified glycosides will be labelled as E960c from January 2023. This will replace the blanket E960 designation that all forms of steviol glycosides have received up to this point. The new regulation has been in the works since 2018, when an application was submitted asking the EU Commission to consider a new production method for rebaudioside M, which uses an enzymatic process to modify the stevia sweetener molecules.
To obtain the E960a rating, the glycosides present must be processed using genetically unmodified stevia, without the presence of any enzymatic processes designed to extract sweetness from the original plant. Given the strictness of the EFSA regulation, this is likely to be closely monitored to ensure strong compliance with the new legislation – ensuring that consumers who enjoy food and beverages marked as containing E960a do so safe in the knowledge that they are enjoying an entirely natural and healthy alternative to traditional sweetness. Providing people with a choice between all natural and enzymatically processed stevia gives more control to producers. As Stevia begins to grow in popularity, a differentiated labelling allows consumers and brands to align their products and every day choices in consistence with their health and environmental visions.
With a commitment to quality stevia and only the purest and most natural ingredients, SWT purifies their stevia extracts entirely without the use of chemicals. In order to achieve this, we select only the highest quality leaves and ensure our 100% water-based purification process does the rest. This will allow products using our sweetness to obtain the coveted E960a designation and give anyone looking for a great tasting and totally natural product the chance to savour fantastic products with maximum pleasure.
At SWT, we believe that the quality of the sweetness we extract from our leaves cannot be achieved by using synthetic of enzymatic modifications. By following this ethos in everything that we do, we ensure that every bite of SWT stevia delivers perfect, healthy sweetness.
Sustainability and Stevia
When facing their role in combating climate change, have you asked yourself:
-How efficient and beneficial is it to allocate a hectare of crop to a certain sweetener?
-Is it good for the environment, is it good for our health?
-Should we promote crop diversity or try to get all the ingredients from a handful of mono-crops?
-Which crops represent an opportunity for diversification?
-Which are the additional services provided by each of these crops?
Naturelly and SWT: Leading the healthy sweetness revolution together
In the crowded children’s drinks market, manufacturers are facing an increasingly severe problem: How do you successfully formulate a delicious drink aimed at young consumers, but also make sure that your product is great for both them and their wider environment?
With the NHS recommending that children under the age of 6 keep sugar consumption below 19g a day, it is more important than ever to ensure that products coming to market can align with the expectations of consumers and concerned parents alike.
For producers who are now facing UK government measures to deter consumers from making potentially unhealthy choices – such as the sugar tax introduced in 2018 – ensuring that new products are low-sugar by design can help to give them an edge when trying to outsell the competition.
Naturelly is one of the companies that has needed to find a solution to this conundrum. Founded by the Dempsey family, who dreamed of a low-mess, environmentally sustainable solution to products already on offer, the company grappled with the demand for a satisfying sweetness profile but also low calories and no added sugar.
This issue has been compounded by the requirements of the Naturelly target market. Lending itself easily to the shelves of high-end retailers, such as Waitrose, Ocado and Holland and Barrett, there was a natural assumption that these products would be good for children and also conforming to the strict sustainability standards that are fast becoming the norm.
The solution to their issues was to engage SWT Stevia. SWT have been able to lend their technical expertise to reformulate Naturelly products using Stevia Clear. This provides the balance of flavour and sweetness demanded by children, but also allows Naturelly to satisfy the demands of parents by creating a no added sugar product.
Using Stevia in place of traditional sweeteners and sugars allows producers to create a product that feels and tastes like the original recipe, but with few of the downsides of using cane sugar. Beyond simply being healthier, SWT Stevia allows companies to provide consumers with ethically sourced and environmentally friendly ingredients. For those who are looking to make sustainable choices in their regular shopping, SWT provides the perfect opportunity to make a real difference to themselves and those around them.
This reformulation has proved to be a success. Naturelly products have become top sellers and a hit with children and parents alike. As a company, Naturelly have won a host of awards, and are at the forefront of a revolution in healthy, sweet products that don’t cost the earth, or the health of the consumers who love them.
In testament to the excellent working relationship between both parties, Dean Dempsey, founder of Naturelly has called SWT “a pleasure to work with, always friendly, supportive with a nothing is impossible attitude. We have sometimes requested difficult lead times from them, and they have always delivered.”
Additionally, SWT’s 100% non-GMO, all-natural production processes mean that happy children are enjoying nothing but wholesome ingredients. On top of this, the environmentally friendly effects of Stevia production over traditional cane sugars mean that every purchase of a Naturelly product is helping to protect the environment and to promote sustainable farming across Latin America and the United States.
As a result of the fantastic products that have come out of this venture, SWT and Naturelly are moving forward together to ensure that all future drinks and snacks continue to be as successful as their current line. As a thank you to SWT for their support, advice and success, Naturelly have helped to introduce a range of new commercial partners and allow stevia to redefine what is possible within the industry.
Why the Stevia Plant is so much more than just sweetness
Did you know that stevia leaves have been used for centuries by the Guarani Indians in Paraguay and the South of Brazil? The stevia plant is full of unknown properties. It produces the most sustainable sweetness that can be farmed, it contains fiber, sweetening molecules and antioxidants. Get to know a bit more of this wonderful plant in our infographic.
Dairy and Non-Dairy Industry trends: The environment, gut health and the move towards healthy sweetness.
One of the main drivers for change are the consumers themselves, who are by now fully aware of the environmental benefits of making ethical food choices and have begun to rewards manufacturers who take this preference into account. The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance of ensuring a healthy immune system, and this presents an opportunity for plant-based dairy producers to effectively communicate how they can help to use their products to support immune system health.
Both within the dairy industry and the increasing number of non-dairy alternatives, we see increasing trends towards health and immunological benefits, with environmental concerns being reflected through increasing consumer choices of plant-based products and the re-focusing of the nutritional structures of products through the reinforcing of healthy sugar replacements. This is in contrast to previous efforts, which traditionally focus on fat reduction.
Immunologic benefits and Gut Health
Digestive health is increasingly recognised by dietitians and consumers alike as being an integral contributor to overall health and wellbeing. Scientific research has found links between the gut microbiome and many aspects of health, including mental health, skin health and even obesity.
Formulating for functional gut health, by using ingredients such as pro- and prebiotics, fibre and other functional gut health ingredients will resonate with consumers seeking a healthy and balanced digestive system. In Latin America, most launches of dairy products include the fortification of Vitamins and Calcium.
Source: Mintel
In addition to these trends, an increasing number of regions are embracing ancient dietary wisdom as a means of boosting immunity levels. As some of the functional claims relating to gut and mood have been backed by scientific findings, ingredients such as ginger and turmeric are on the rise globally.
Plant-based alternatives and environment impact.
Consumers of plant-based products are, by nature, informed and aware of environmental issues. This demonstrates the need for brands to clearly communicate their commitment to sustainability, through strategies such as carbon reduction, local sourcing and short supply chains as well as providing eco-friendly packaging.
The proportion of consumers adopting vegan diets remains niche, but consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental and ethical costs of intensive dairy farming. It is interesting that only 21% of non-dairy milk consumers in the US do so because they are consuming fewer animal products (Mintel, 2021). This highlights the importance of environmentally friendly, grass fed dairy production.
Even within the vegan industry, the source of raw materials has become increasingly relevant from an environmental point of view. In this aspect, brands need to tap into the growing popularity of oat, coconut and pea proteins as consumers edge away from more established ingredients such as almond and soy, which are increasingly being questioned owing to their comparatively large environmental footprints.
Source: Mintel
Nutrition Structure and the prevalence of Non-Sugar
With government regulation looking to fight obesity in the vast majority of countries, a focus on health, wellness and dietary awareness has grown up, looking to surpass these otherwise basic regulations. While restrictive laws using black seals both for high sugar and high saturated fat products, such as the Chilean Front labelling law or the Mexican Nom. 51, it is interesting to note that consumers themselves are leading trends, as they become aware of serious research highlighting the beneficial effect of specific fats and healthy sugar alternatives, as well as reinforcing the negative effects of a high sugar and fructose diet. This can be seen in the claim trends in North America, where the no-added sugar has become the norm, and the use of fat and cholesterol as ingredient in formulation have declined dramatically.
Source: Mintel
This reinforces the importance of the design of ‘360-degree’ health benefits for the nutritional characteristics of products. In this regard, the usage of natural, non-laxative and beneficial ingredients for the development of sweetness - including stevia - is on the rise. As is becoming the norm in all areas, the environmental and responsible sourcing of the sweetening systems - including the carbon and water footprints - have become a key component in the design of foods. Genuinely innovative companies are now using sugar replacement as an opportunity to provide healthy products which provide benefits beyond sweetness and boost the nutritional benefits of products which are well-regarded by consumers, such as yoghurts and other fermented milk products.
Consumer demand is increasingly driving development in this field - even more quickly than the introduction of anti-obesity legislation. With a greater understanding of the importance of gut health, sustainability and ethical choices, producers are seeing the beginning of the greatest shift in consumer trends since the advent of processed food. It is becoming increasingly clear that to seriously compete and for products to be considered desireable, formulation needs to hold sustainability – both environmental and health – as the central tenet of the concept.
SWT Stevia opens applications center in Chicago, USA
SWT Stevia announced the opening of its new state-of-the-art applications center in Lisle, Illinois. The new facility will have the capability to create all manner of beverage, bakery and snack products to help customers develop outstanding natural sugar-free and reduced sugar products.
“Our goal was to create a space that will be a destination for our clients to partner and co-develop products with natural and organic sweetness profiles to meet consumer expectations,” said vice president of sales, Mark Robertson.
SWT Stevia is a vertically integrated stevia extract producer farming its own stevia plants in North and South Carolina, as well as in Mexico. with nearly two decades in the market and extensive experience in sugar substitution formulation in South America, Asia and Europe. SWT’s unique extraction and purification process is100% water based and does not utilize any alcohol, solvents nor enzymatic modifications. This clean process is fundamental in how SWT’s products achieve a natural sweet taste.
http://digital.foodbusinessnews.net/sosland/fbn/food-business-news-april-27-2021/index.php#/p/64
Stevia and our Metabolism
Have you wondered how do we “sense” sweetness in our mouths? Do all sweeteners interact with our body in the same way?
Does stevia has calories or raises our insulin levels? Does stevia has any interaction with different parts of our body, or only in our mouths?
Learn briefly about how stevia sweeteners interact with our cells, and how it is metabolized until it is degraded and excreted.
