Stevia steps into the spotlight

As European consumers cut back on sugar and regulators tighten the screws, ADM is betting big on next‑generation stevia. Its latest launch, SweetRight Stevia Edgility, promises cleaner taste, greater flexibility and a cost profile designed for a market under pressure. Plant+Pour explores how the ingredient giant is reshaping the future of sweetness.

ADM is leaning hard into the future of sugar reduction – and the timing could not be sharper. Across Europe, consumers are actively cutting back on sugar, governments are expanding sugar taxes, and brands are scrambling to reformulate without sacrificing taste.

According to ADM’s proprietary research, eight in ten EU adults now intentionally avoid or reduce sugar in their diets, and the desire for clean label, low‑calorie and indulgent products is only intensifying. The message is clear: sweetness still sells, but sugar no longer does.

For Melanie Cannavò, product manager for Specialty Sweeteners & Starches at ADM, this shift represents both a challenge and an opportunity. “Consumers want reduced‑sugar, better‑for‑you and clean label options, but they won’t compromise on taste,” she explains. “Our job is to help brands deliver all three.”

ADM’s answer is a sweeping sweetener strategy built on breadth, science and supply chain muscle. The company has long invested in bulk sweeteners and low‑/no‑calorie options, but its most ambitious work is happening in stevia – a category that has evolved dramatically since its early, bitterness‑plagued days. ADM’s latest launch, SweetRight Stevia Edgility, marks what Cannavò calls “the next generation” of leaf‑derived sweetening solutions.

Unlike many premium stevia products on the market, Stevia Edgility is extracted directly from the leaf rather than produced via bioconversion or fermentation. This gives it the coveted E960a designation, a clean‑label advantage that matters deeply to European manufacturers navigating increasingly strict ingredient expectations. But the real breakthrough lies in its taste profile. Through a more intentional blend of high‑quality steviol glycosides, ADM has engineered a stevia solution with reduced bitterness, less linger and a more balanced sweetness – a combination that has historically been difficult to achieve.

“Legacy stevia left a perception problem,” Cannavò acknowledges. “People still associate it with bitterness. We knew that if stevia was going to play a bigger role in deeper sugar reduction, we needed a step change in taste quality.”

Stevia Edgility is ADM’s attempt to deliver that shift, offering a cleaner, more rounded sweetness that can be used at higher inclusion levels without triggering off‑notes.

This matters because higher inclusion levels unlock deeper sugar and calorie reductions – a priority for categories like beverages, yogurts and wellness‑forward products where consumers expect short ingredient lists and refreshing taste profiles. With less bitterness, formulators can also reduce or eliminate flavour maskers, simplifying labels and controlling cost‑in‑use. In a market where sugar taxes are reshaping product development, cost efficiency is no longer a nice‑to‑have; it’s a survival strategy.

ADM positions Stevia Edgility as a solution that brings “value and performance together,” and the economics back that up. Its high potency means less material is needed to achieve the same sweetness, and its clean‑label status keeps it within EU inclusion limits. For manufacturers juggling reformulation pressures, regulatory compliance and tight margins, this combination is compelling.

But Stevia Edgility is not a standalone innovation. It sits within ADM’s broader Replace Rebalance Rebuild framework – a holistic formulation approach that replaces sweetness, rebalances flavour and rebuilds functionality across entire product systems. This systems‑level thinking is where ADM believes it can outpace competitors. “Stevia alone can’t solve every challenge,” Cannavò says. “It’s about pairing the right glycosides with the right taste modulation and functional ingredients to deliver the full sensory experience consumers expect.”

Behind the scenes, ADM’s global R&D network plays a critical role in shaping these solutions. Ingredient scientists collaborate with growers to improve plant varietals and extraction methods, while regional teams tailor formulations to local taste preferences and regulatory landscapes. Europe’s patchwork of sugar taxes and labelling rules adds complexity, but ADM’s regulatory experts help customers navigate these shifting requirements. The result is a sweetener portfolio that is both globally informed and locally adaptable.

Looking ahead, ADM sees stevia becoming even more central to sugar reduction strategies, especially as personalised nutrition and functional foods gain traction. High‑protein and high‑fibre products, for example, often struggle with bitterness or off‑notes that require careful sweetness balancing. Stevia’s ability to deliver meaningful sugar reduction at scale – while supporting clean label positioning – gives it a unique advantage in these emerging categories.

ADM is already investing in next‑generation stevia technologies, with several advancements launched in the past three years and more on the horizon. The focus remains on cleaner sweetness profiles, improved sustainability and cost‑effective options that meet evolving consumer expectations. As regulations tighten and brands push toward zero‑sugar targets, ADM believes its stevia portfolio will be essential to unlocking new formulation possibilities.

For now, Stevia Edgility stands as the company’s most ambitious step forward – a product designed not just to meet market demand, but to reshape it. In a landscape where sugar reduction is no longer optional, ADM is positioning itself as the partner that can help brands deliver sweetness without compromise.

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