NEW YORK (AP) - Consumers looking for a guilt-free way to satisfy a sweet
tooth now have another option.
A new no-calorie sweetener jointly developed by Coca-Cola Co. and Cargill
Inc. will go on sale for the first time on Wednesday. The sweetener, named
Truvia, is made from the leaves of stevia, an herb grown in South America and
Asia.
Stevia-based sweeteners are already used in products in Japan and South
Korea and are available as a nutritional supplement in the U.S. Truvia would be
the first stevia sweetener marketed as a table-top alternative to sugar
substitutes like Splenda and Equal.
The product will be available for sale online and at the New York-based
grocery store chain D'Agostino. Forty-count packages will be sold for $3.99.
Marcelo Montero, president of Cargill's health and nutrition business, said
Truvia will be distributed nationally beginning in the fall.
Cargill said it has tested the product extensively and published the results
of studies backing its safety in the scientific journal Food and Chemical
Toxicology in May. Cargill spokesman Ann Tucker said under Food and Drug
Administration rules, no further approval is required to market and sell the
product as a general purpose sweetener.
Coca-Cola and Cargill jointly own the trademark on the sweetener, and
Coca-Cola has said it will likely use the product to sweeten its drinks.
Coca-Cola spokesman Kelly Brooks said in an e-mail response to inquiries
that the company could not comment on when consumers might see the sweetener in
its drinks.
"We will explore possible applications for our portfolio, but for
competitive reasons we cannot discuss timing," Brooks said.
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