Why the safety and traceability of our stevia supply are more important than ever
Tom Fuzer, vice president of market strategy at HOWTIAN, talks about the rising production of stevia, a plant-based sweetener, to satisfy demand worldwide and maintain product safety in the event of a supply chain disruption.
It’s easy to see why stevia, a natural plant-based sweetener, is popular with over five billion people worldwide each year. It has no calories, a high potency (200–450 times sweeter than sugar), a pleasant sweet taste, doesn’t affect blood sugar levels, is heat stable, and has a carbon footprint that is 64% lower than cane sugar, making it a sustainable option for the food system of the future.
A total of 100 nations worldwide have approved stevia for use as a sweetener. These main markets include the US, Canada, most of Europe, Australia, China, Japan, and Korea.
Its expansion has coincided with the current plant-based and reduction in sugar trends. According to a study by Innova Market Insights, four out of ten consumers worldwide have cut back on their sugar intake in an attempt to eat a better diet.
In conjunction with sugar tariffs imposed by the government and manufacturers’ endeavors to create products using natural ingredients, the stevia sector is anticipated to develop at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8% until 2025.
The necessity for safety and traceability in the supply chains of the stevia sector has increased with the start of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Shortages of raw materials, unplanned delays, and variations in logistics costs are constant challenges for manufacturers. Our industry might do better to provide manufacturers with up-to-date, real-time information about the ingredients they are using for processing, storing, and shipping in order to help them overcome these obstacles.
Programs for stevia cultivation, processing, and supply chain traceability
Global traceability systems are integrated into modern food supply chains, allowing manufacturers to instantly identify the origins of raw materials from completed goods. Stevia is not an exception, being manufactured in greater amounts than in the past. The production process and supply chain for stevia can benefit from the application of an extensive framework of effective and safe operating procedures and testing standards offered by established quality control systems like FSSC, ISO, and HACCP.
Manufacturers must take special considerations into account while growing and processing natural goods in their supply chain, in addition to these conventional precautions. Because stevia is a plant, farms in different regions may experience differences in weather and environment, which can make it difficult to maintain product consistency and uniformity.
Each batch can be examined for steviol glycoside levels, moisture content, pH, microbes, and heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, lead, and arsenic for quality control.
For many years, supply chains have raised worries about quality and safety. But more recently, as customer tastes have changed, corporations are expected to include corporate responsibility while analyzing their supply chains.
Customers are putting more and more pressure on businesses and brands to take action to guarantee that their supply chains are fair trade, sustainable in the environment, and enhance the well-being of the farming communities they serve. The traceability of food and beverage firms’ component supply chains is becoming ever more crucial due to consumer expectations, and the events of the last two years have only
incorporating QC traceability into the biggest stevia production facility in the world
With the opening of a new facility in Dongtai City, China, in 2017, HOWTIAN (previously known as ZCHT), the manufacturer of SoPureTM Stevia, became the world’s largest stevia manufacturer, with an annual production capacity of 8,000 metric tons. The company now employs over 1,000 people after hiring more full-time technical staff and developing its network of contract farms to accommodate the demand for necessary raw materials.
HOWTIAN’s 20 years of farming, processing, formulation, and distribution experience have allowed it to create systems and methods that are transparent and efficient at every step of the production process. Its agricultural science center creates and supplies regulated seedlings for its farms and cooperatives using its breeding skills, guaranteeing the preservation of consistency and uniformity as
HOWTIAN adheres to both local national standard GB 8270-2014 and international JECFA requirements to guarantee quality control. The majority of the processing rooms at HOWTIAN’s China FDA GMP-certified laboratory have adjustable temperature and humidity controls. Several of these rooms are furnished with gas and liquid chromatographs, atomic absorption spectrophotometers, and other inspection tools. These rooms are utilized for sample receipt and labeling, as well as testing for microbiological detection.
In order to ensure prompt detection and isolation of any infected staff for product safety, HOWTIAN has developed epidemic prevention and control work plans and reaction methods in response to COVID-19. Standard HACCP processes for food handling are strictly adhered to, along with temperature checks and hygiene protocols. More security has been put in place to prevent needless visits by outsiders, particularly in
Covid-19 uncertainty persists
Even though a lot of medical professionals think COVID-19 will become an endemic rather than a pandemic, supply chains have been disrupted, and this has left international markets uncertain.
What actions are possible? In order to overcome these obstacles, producers who use sweeteners like stevia must place a high priority on the visibility and traceability of their ingredient supply chains. This can be achieved by combining a few strategies, such as giving short-term demand planning priority with fewer, low-risk suppliers; increasing the adoption of COVID-19 safety measures for all parties; enforcing stricter quality control procedures; and collaborating with suppliers who can provide a comprehensive, detailed traceability system.