subject to regulations on maximum usage levels and purity criteria. So, while stevia offers numerous advantages as a sweetener in bakery products, including its natural origin and zero-calorie profile, overcoming challenges such as bitter aftertaste and regulatory compliance is essential for successful incorporation into bakery recipes. Manufacturers need to navigate these issues to meet consumer demand for healthier options while ensuring product quality and compliance with all applicable regulations in their target markets.


Environmental impact The bakery sector has made significant strides in adopting more stringent standards of sustainability, with impacts felt especially in the selection and sourcing process of ingredients. Recognising this trend, ingredient manufacturers – with the stevia sector being no exception – have needed to be proactive in assessing the environmental impact their products. Tom Fuzer, VP of Market Strategy at


HOWTIAN, says: “With the CO2 footprint of stevia typically less than one-quarter than that of sugar, stevia producers have


bakeryproduction.co.uk


Sugar provides browning, binding and structure, supporting overall texture and mouthfeel. When reducing sugar, bakers must consider the entire formulation process and the desired end application”


generated industry awareness that this plant-based sweetener is one of the most environmentally friendly solutions available. HOWTIAN recently undertook an extensive Life Cycle Assessment of its high purity stevia. Conducted by Switzerland-based Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) the assessment examined key measures of environmental impact, including carbon and water footprint. HOWITAN was delighted to find that the results were superior to the performance of sugar, and also other stevia products. The assessment revealed that HOWTIAN’s high purity Reb A stevia outperforms traditional sugar in sustainability metrics


and sets new stevia industry standards in key environmental performance indicators. For the basis of its analysis, SGS determined what the environmental footprint would stretch from producing and processing the ingredient in order to generate the equivalent sweetness of 1 metric ton of white sugar. When these results were compared to like-for-like metrics for cane sugar, the study found that HOWTIAN achieved a 78% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to cane sugar; a 77% reduction in water usage; and a 94% reduction in agricultural land usage


A significant challenge With consumers being driven toward better-


Kennedy’s Bakery Production Feb/March 2024 11


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