Sweet Naturally, with Stevia

IMCD is a Netherlands-based company that distributes specialty chemicals and provides technical sales services. As IMCD Turkey, we have been operating actively since 2004 in many different sectors including food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, textiles, detergents, and industrial chemicals (construction chemicals, plastics, mineral oils, paints, adhesives, inks, etc.). Our team of 55 people consists of specialists and technical professionals in the sales department. In numerous food sectors such as dairy and dairy products, bakery products, confectionery, chocolate, meat products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, oils, food additives, and fruits and vegetables, we work with partners such as Dsm Food, Aditya Birla, Ashland, Butter Buds, Chr Hansen, Purecircle, Lallemand Bio Ingredients, Sensus and others. We continuously increase our support with high-quality and reliable functional ingredients and contribute to the development of the food sector through innovative solutions.

Since 2014, we have been supporting the technical solutions and formulation services we provide in our food laboratory in Istanbul with our food application laboratory in Belgium.

Consumers are now carefully examining products on shelves and beginning to prefer natural-ingredient products referred to as "clean label." This growing awareness has contributed to the acceptance of stevia, a naturally sourced zero-calorie sweetener, in the food and beverage sector and to the increasing number of applications. Companies have begun to frequently use stevia sweetener in sugar and calorie reduction projects, as it maintains the final product taste and is naturally sourced. The stevia plant is non-GMO, and its leaves are naturally sweet, with the family origin being sunflower. The plant, whose origin traces back to North America, is now produced in nearly every part of the world, mainly in Kenya, China, and America. The use of high-purity stevia leaf extract in food and beverages is approved in more than 150 countries, and its safety is supported by more than 200 scientific studies. Using stevia, beverages, fruit juices, water, flavored milks, yogurts, breakfast cereals, sauces, confectionery products, tabletop sweeteners and more than 10,000 other types of products are sweetened. In 2016, nearly 3,000 products were produced using stevia, and stevia use in the beverage sector increased by 20%, while growth in the food sector was 9%. Given rising global concerns about obesity and diabetes, beverage and food companies are continuously working on new recipes to reduce sugar and calories in their products due to their responsibilities to both consumers and health organizations.

The sweetener derived from the stevia plant is a very powerful tool for these companies as both a plant-based solution and due to its zero-calorie nature. Our supplier PureCircle is the world leader in the production and marketing of high-purity stevia varieties.

PureCircle leads the market with sustainable, naturally sourced products that are easily integrated into the sector. In its extensive product portfolio, it includes products such as Reb A and SG95, as well as newly developed PureCircle Alpha and PureCircle natural flavors. As IMCD Turkey, we work continuously in partnership with our leading suppliers to comprehensively examine the latest trends and consumer expectations and to provide services for reliable food production. With our supplier PureCircle, our more than 30 varieties of stevia sweeteners and natural stevia flavors, our functional food additives product portfolio and technical application support help you discover new opportunities and develop exciting innovations that delight consumers everywhere. IMCD currently operates in more than 50 countries, which enables our product portfolio to be nearly unlimited. The goal and greatest passion of IMCD Turkey is to strengthen and add value to the operations of our customers and suppliers in Turkey and achieve continuous success together. To learn how our international and local expertise can add value to your business, please contact our office in Istanbul.     Duygu Yörük Technical Sales Manager - Food