Foods for weight management continue to evolve with advancements in nutritional and physiological sciences.

At the recent Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim, Calif., I was amazed by how many companies promoted new products on the basis of not containing high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

PepsiCo Inc., Purchase, N.Y., is exploring the addition of “tea” to its very popular lower-calorie Trop50 beverage line. The new product concepts in test market include Peach with White Tea, Pear Lychee with White Tea and Raspberry with Green Tea. All three new concepts claim to contain 50% less sugar and calories than juice blends. The beverages rely on a stevia-based sweetener, which allows for a “no artificial sweetener” claim.

Help ensure product success by having a finger on the pulse of consumers’ perceptions about alternative sweeteners.

Wild Flavors expands its line of taste modification ingredients with new Wild sweetness enhancer.

Cargill and Arasco to create starches and sweeteners joint venture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Tate & Lyle, in partnership with BioVittoria Ltd., have created PUREFRUIT, a fruit-based calorie-free sweetening ingredient.

Steviva Brands introduces a Stevia-based syrup blend designed to replace high-fructose corn syrup in beverages.