Stevia Sweetener Sales, Driven by Category Leader Truvia® Natural Sweetener, Surpass All Artificial Sugar Substitutes - Sucralose, Aspartame and Saccharin

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In an unprecedented category shift, stevia sweeteners have surpassed artificial sweeteners, signaling a major shift in how consumers define sweetness. Since its launch 10 years ago, Truvia^® Sweetener, which gets its calorie-free sweetness from the stevia leaf, created and has led a whole new category of natural stevia sweeteners.  The stevia sweeteners category has grown 11.9% in the last year, while sucralose sweetener sales are down 6%, aspartame sweetener sales are down 8% and saccharin sweetener sales are down 5.9%.¹

As consumers have shifted away from products using artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame and saccharin, Truvia^® Sweetener has consistently seen year-over-year sales growth, solidifying its position as America's #1 natural zero-calorie sweetener.  With a leading market share of 33% among natural zero- and reduced calorie sweeteners in the last year, Truvia^® Sweetener has transformed how consumers sweeten their foods and beverages today.

"This shift within the category represents how consumers are eating today," commented Brian Nau, global Truvia^® brand leader.  "Consumers are looking for foods, and sweeteners, that reduce sugar in their lives, taste great and are sourced from natural ingredients.  Truvia^® Natural Sweetener fits perfectly with how consumers are changing their eating habits."

The brand has driven category growth among zero- and reduced-calorie stevia sweeteners through product innovation, branding and marketing efforts that have tapped into consumer concerns over reducing sugar and artificial sweeteners, as well as increased demand for products naturally sweetened with stevia leaf extract. Over the past year, Truvia^® Sweetener has established a new on-shelf presence, re-introduced the brand's Sugar Blends and launched the "Pick Nature's Sweetness, Pick Truvia^®" advertising campaign on digital, social and TV.  These combined efforts have resulted in unprecedented sales growth on the brand's Sugar Blends [sales dollar volume is up 11.8% in the latest 12 weeks vs. last year] as well as the zero-calorie packets and zero-calorie spoonable jar [Truvia^® Natural Sweetener dollar sales are up 3.8% in the latest 12 weeks vs. last year].²

"The continued demand for great-tasting, naturally sourced sweeteners drives the Truvia^® brand strategy, but making sweet moments better for consumers drives the Truvia^® brand spirit," added AJ Aumock, Truvia^® global marketing leader.  "Giving our consumers and their families a way to enjoy their favorite foods and beverages with fewer calories and natural sweetness is at the core of the Truvia^® brand."

With nearly half of all consumers choosing to cut back on sugar at the grocery store this year according to a new Label Insight survey³, Truvia^® zero - calorie Sweetener sources its sweetness from the best tasting parts of the stevia leaf and has always helped consumers reduce sugar, not sweetness in their food and beverages.  The Truvia^® brand offers options to reduce sugar and calories through zero- and reduced-calorie sweeteners that are perfect for sweetening beverages, foods, and desserts, including Truvia^® Natural Sweetener, Truvia^® Nectar, Truvia^® Brown Sugar Blend and Truvia^® Cane Sugar Blend.

About the Truvia^® Business
Sweetness is meant to be enjoyed. That's why the Truvia^® brand created a family of zero- and reduced-calorie sweeteners that reduce sugar and calories, not sweetness. Truvia^® Natural Sweetener, naturally sweetened with the best tasting parts of the stevia leaf, is No. 1 in its category of zero-calorie natural sweeteners in the U.S. and is also available to consumers in Europe and Canada. For more information about our ingredients, visit Truvia.com/FAQ.

¹ Data reported by Cargill based on Nielsen Total US x AOC, L52 weeks ending 08/11/18 
² Data reported by Cargill based on Nielsen Total US x AOC, L52 weeks ending 08/11/18 
³ Label Insight survey of 1,023 nationally representative U.S. adults, ages 18+, conducted by Wakefield Research in December 2017.

SOURCE Truvia