Plant-based sweeteners boom

If you haven't heard of agave nectar or stevia, chances are you will before the year is over. The two sweeteners are showing up in cocktails, bottled drinks and a host of other products. The market for both is exploding.

According to a report by the market research firm Mintel, sales of stevia were close to $100 million for the year ending July 2009. The company estimates that by the end of 2011, the U.S. ingredient market for stevia could reach $1 billion.

Stevia is extracted from the leaves of a South American herb. Like its counterparts in the blue and pink packets, stevia is calorie-free. (Stevia comes in green or green and white packets). But unlike the others, stevia is a plant-based sweetener, not artificial.

In December 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of rebaudioside A or reb-A, a derivative of the stevia plant, for use in foods and beverages in the United States, provided it is at least 95 percent pure. Reb-A is 300 times sweeter than sugar.

Stevia sweeteners were launched under the Truvia and PureVia brands and are available in supermarkets.

Soft-drink companies were among the first to hop on board, using reb-A, sometimes in combination with sugar, to create drinks that can make the "all-natural" boast, while containing fewer calories. Coca-Cola launched three of its Odwalla juices sweetened with Truvia. PepsiCo partnered with Whole Earth Sweetener Co. to launch the PureVia brand, which Pepsi is using to sweeten its SoBe Lifewater products.

Kelly Reed, a clinical dietitian and coordinator of the diabetes center at Akron General Medical Center in Ohio, said stevia is appealing because it is derived from a plant, as opposed to being a laboratory creation. She said many diabetics she counsels have discovered Truvia and PureVia since the sweeteners received FDA approval, and most are pleased. Some detractors claim it has a licorice-like aftertaste, but Reed said she hasn't heard complaints.

In fact, Reed said Truvia is probably as popular as Equal or Splenda among her patients as a sweetener for beverages such as coffee and tea.

Because of its extreme sweetness, Reed cautions users to go easy at first. Both makers claim one packet equals the sweetness of two teaspoons of sugar.

While both Truvia and PureVia offer recipes for desserts using their products, Reed said she expects it will take a while before Splenda is unseated as the baking favorite for non-caloric sweeteners.

Agave nectar is the other natural sweetener that is making a splash in the culinary world. Agave is syrup from the same Mexican plant that gives us tequila. While not calorie-free, it is an all-natural sweetener like honey and boasts a low glycemic index, which makes it a more healthful alternative. Having a low glycemic index means that agave takes a longer time to convert to glucose in the body, which is good for maintaining steady glucose levels.

However, Reed cautioned that agave is still a sugar, so diabetics need to watch it as carefully as they would sugar, honey or any carbohydrate.

"Agave nectar comes in three varieties: light, which is a honey-colored syrup; amber, which looks like maple syrup and has a slightly more caramel flavor; and raw, which is similar to amber. All are thinner than honey, but thicker than a simple syrup made from sugar.

Their consistency and natural sweetness are turning heads in the culinary world, particularly in the field of mixology. Cocktail recipes now often call for agave nectar instead of simple syrup.

Agave nectar also is showing up as a substitute for the much-maligned high-fructose corn syrup in products like ketchup and barbecue sauce.

Ania Catalano, a whole foods chef and author of the cookbook "Baking With Agave Nectar," said that unlike honey, agave adds sweetness without adding its own flavor.

"Honey is healthy, but everything you make with it tends to taste like honey. ... The great thing about agave is it is very neutral. It's almost flavorless, and it has a nice clean finish," she said.