Aspartame's loss is stevia's gain

As traditional sweeteners such as aspartame fall from grace, stevia has been quietly gaining popularity with consumers. Mintel and Leatherhead Food Research have valued stevia at US$110 million in 2013, but predict that this will rise to US$275 by 2017.

By contrast, aspartame is forecast to drop from around US$450 million in 2013 to US$340 million by 2017. In the meantime, stevia - and blends of stevia and other sweeteners like acesulfame K - will begin to take a greater share of the market.

In 2009, only 5% of food and drink product launches used solely plant-derived sweeteners. By 2013, this figure had reached 15%. In North America alone, between 2011 and 2013, plant-derived sweeteners were used in 28% of launches.

“Much of the growth in the global sweeteners market is set to be driven by growing consumer concerns over sugar intake, whilst the development of more plant-derived sweeteners is also anticipated to benefit the market,” said Laura Jones, Food Science Analyst at Mintel.

“The gradual demise of sugar coupled with the desire for sweetened food and drink products suggests good opportunities for intense sweeteners. Intense sweeteners offer a source of sweetness without the calorie contribution of sugar - an increasingly attractive proposition to consumers struggling to manage their weight. Signs that the global market for intense sweeteners has reacted to this increased demand for ‘healthier’ sweetener solutions is already evident.”

Despite stevia’s rise to stardom, artificial sweeteners such as acesulfame K, sucralose and aspartame are still dominant, Mintel says. Due to its use in blends, acesulfame K leads in launch activity; however, the share of products using the sweetener has gradually declined from 56% in 2009 to 49% of launches in 2013.

Sucralose comes in at second place, with its use having remained constant over the past five years. Sucralose shows more potential for growth in some regions, given its positioning as the most ‘sugar-like’ of the artificial sweeteners. Around 40% of all products launched with an intense sweetener contain sucralose. Aspartame, while holding the number three position, is dropping year on year, from being used in 40% of 2009 launches to 32% of 2013 launches.

Categories still heavily reliant on artificial variants include sugar confectionery, desserts, ice-cream, dairy products and carbonated soft drinks.

“Plant-derived sweeteners, such as stevia, are expected to provide the main impetus for growth in the sweetener market in the coming years,” said Emma Gubisch, strategic insight manager at Leatherhead Food Research.

“As manufacturers work to create the right taste profile for stevia and for other plant-derived sweeteners, such as monk fruit, to obtain regulatory clearance, the artificial sweetener market still offers growth opportunities, in particular the sucralose and acesulfame-K markets.”