PureCircle Begins Direct Sale Of Proprietary NSF-02® Natural Stevia Flavor Solution To Food, Beverage and Flavor House Customers

Chicago, IL, April 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PureCircle (LSE: PURE), the world’s leading producer and innovator of great-tasting stevia ingredients for the global beverage and food industries, is pleased to announce it is now offering its proprietary NSF-02® stevia flavor solution directly to its customers. This important PureCircle solution was previously distributed by a third party as a strategic option within PureCircle’s growing natural flavor portfolio. PureCircle is now able to provide food and beverage companies as well as flavor houses direct purchase of, and access to, the ingredient.  Protected by PureCircle’s intellectual property, the NSF-02® stevia solution is part of the company’s robust portfolio of stevia leaf ingredients including sweeteners, flavor modifiers and functional ingredients.The NSF-02® stevia flavor is a unique solution.  It is widely valued and used for its ability to enhance sweetness quality and balance overall flavor profile, while minimizing off-notes and aftertaste. TheNSF-02® solution is produced from the stevia leaf and labelled as natural flavor, while delivering sweetness enhancement and balanced flavor profiles.  Companies can now purchase NSF-02® stevia flavor directly from PureCircle, and work with the Company on how to apply this ingredient as part of flavor systems. Customers using NSF-02® stevia flavor can leverage PureCircle’s industry-leading formulation expertise and technical support with stevia-based ingredients in flavor systems and optimized sweetener/flavor solutions across a broad set of consumer product applications. Consumers are increasingly mindful about their health and wellness and about the ingredients in the foods and beverages they consume.  Food and beverage companies are responding to that. Ingredients seen as natural have growing appeal.  PureCircle’s flavor portfolio – including the NSF-02® solution — fills that bill perfectly.  According to Nielsen’s 2018 Global Premiumization Study, “consumers will be seeking greater assurance that the products they buy are free of risk and of the highest quality when it comes to safety standards and efficacy, particularly with respect to cleaning products, antiseptics and food items.” Nielsen found that 41% of consumers would be willing to pay more for all-natural ingredients, and 49% percent would pay more for products with high-safety standards.PureCircle, the everything stevia company with a fully integrated, secure and transparent supply chain, provides just that assurance: ingredients that are of the highest quality and safety standards.Unique in the ability to deliver consumer assurance, PureCircle’s NSF-02® stevia flavor is the only FDA reviewed GSG (glycosylated steviol glycoside) flavor available commercially. Flavor ingredients have high standards of review by the FDA and other regulatory food safety agencies like EFSA. Non-GMO Project and Kosher certified, the NSF-02® stevia flavor is also one of the few stevia-based flavor solutions that can be considered ‘organic compliant’ for use in USDA Organic food products and ‘organic suitable’ in the EU. PureCircle is the exclusive, authorized provider of GSG flavors, including NSF-02® flavor and is uniquely able to guarantee full compliance with food safety regulatory authorities related to the use of GSG as a flavor solution. Commenting on PureCircle’s offering of NSF-02®, PureCircle Deputy CEO Stephane Ducroux said: