Sugar is one of the biggest health enemies and high intakes of it can cause it to become major contributors to obesity and diabetes. An individual’s high sugar intake can largely be caused by on the consumption of exceedingly sugar-sweetened beverages.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in recent years, Southeast Asia has seen a high spike in diabetic cases. This has pushed many governments across the globe, including Malaysia and Singapore, to take measures to combat the disease.
Sugar Tax in Malaysia
In efforts to reduce sugar consumption, the Malaysia government has impose an excise duty (RM0.40 per litre) on ready-to-drink SSBs with excessive* sugar, whether imported or locally manufactured. In recent news, the amount has increase by 10 sen (RM0.50 per litre) following Malaysia’s Budget 2024 announcement, where it was reported to be a further initiative by the government to speed up efforts of curbing sugar causing and related diseases.
Budget 2022: Sugar Tax Expanded to Cover Premix Drinks
From older reports, the Malaysian government has also extended the excise duty imposed on premixed beverages in the form of cocoa-based premixes, tea, coffee and malt. This will affect our favourite 3-in-1 drinks. Read more..
New Nutrient Labelling in Singapore
Meanwhile, in Singapore, a new nutrition summary label called Nutri-Grade will be introduced from the end of 2021, aiming to help consumers better gauge how healthy pre-packaged drinks are at a glance.
Reduce Sugar, Redefine Sweetness
Sugar not only provides sweetness but also mouthfeel, bulk, and browning effect. Thus, reformulations are not as simple as reducing the sugar content. Markaids offers a complete food solution for sugar reduction. We take high considerations to maintain the taste and mouthfeel while keeping it cost-effective.
What are Sweeteners?
First, let’s take a look and understand sweeteners. Sweeteners are food additives that are used in order to stimulate a sense of sweetness during consumption. The use of sugar has become less popular and researchers have found and developed new ways to sweeten our food without the actual use of sugar. These substitutes for sugar are what we call sweeteners.
There are wide range of sweeteners available in the market such as monk fruit, honey, stevia, aspartame to name a few. So, how to choose the right sweetener? Thus, it’s important to understand the differences and its benefits. Let’s see how it is usually compared:
- High-Intensity or Regular-Intensity? – Sweetener Intensity refers to the quantity required to give equivalence sweetness to sugar. High-intensity sweeteners require less amounts to yield a similar sweetness intensity.
- Non-nutritive or Nutritive? – The term Nutritive refers to the calories it provides the body. Non-nutritive sweeteners are either very low in calories or have zero calorie.
- Natural or Artificial? This reflects on the origin, how it is being derived? Whether synthetically produced or naturally derived from natural sources.
Stevia, A Natural and Healthier Sugar Reduction Solution
Stevia is a high-intensity sugar substitute that just may be succeed as an alternative food ingredient to promote a healthier image. It is derived from stevia leaves making it natural and providing a similar profile to sugar. It entails hundreds of sweetness equivalence in a single spoon at zero-calorie. Thus, making it cost-effective. The main sweetening components of Stevia are Stevioside and Rebaudioside-A.
Why is Stevia the Best Alternative Sweetener?
- It is non-caloric
- Naturally derived from stevia leaves
- Heat and pH Stable
- 200-400x sweeter than sugar
- Considered as ‘clean label’
Benefits of Stevia
- Stevia does not promote dental cavities
- Stevia is safe for consumption by diabetics as non-diabetics
- Can replace many current uses of artificial alternatives and sugar
Watch to find out more about Aojing Stevia
Why is Markaids Your Preferred Stevia Supplier in Malaysia?
Our mission is to inspire and enable advancements in the food industry. Thus, as a stevia supplier in Malaysia, Markaids does not only supply to our customers but we work closely with you to serve as your technical ingredients advisor and provider. With more than 40 years of experience in the food industry, we understand all too well the common challenges faced by food manufacturers when developing new products.
Replacing sugar with stevia is not as easy as 1-to-1 replacement. There are various factors to take into consideration as sugar provides sweetness, taste, colour, and mouthfeel. Firstly, you will need to calculate the right amount of stevia to use, which would be in a small dosage. From there, you’ll need to consider replacing the bulk loss and getting back the desired mouthfeel.
Stevia Supplier With Innovative Ideas
As the leading stevia supplier in Malaysia, we are ready to tweak your formulations without compromising taste and mouthfeel. With our well-equipped in-house Innovation Centre and a team of innovation technologists, we are here to assist you in meeting consumer demands for reduced-sugar products by conducting trials and developing prototypes for you.
