Cargill and Evolva Holding SA have revealed their development program for fermentation-based steviol glycosides is moving into pilot scale ahead of schedule, potentially making it available for commercialization sooner than expected.
"The pace of progress in this collaboration with Cargill has exceeded our expectations," said Evolva CEO Neil Goldsmith. "This is terrific news for not only producers, but also for the consumers around the world who will be able to enjoy a much broader spectrum of reduced-calorie products."
Earlier this year, Cargill and Evolva entered into an agreement to jointly develop and commercialize fermentation-based steviol glycosides. Steviol glycosides are the compounds responsible for the sweet taste of stevia plant leaves.
"We are confident about our technical progress to date and are now moving to pilot scale in 2013 versus the original plan of 2014," said Jill Zullo, technical director, Cargill Corn Milling North America.