Cargill’s Eversweet zero calorie sweetener responds to major consumer health demands

Latest research from the Cargill group has found that consumers have placed an increasingly high bar on seeking out product ranges that both taste great, and confirm to their aspirations of wellness goals, writes Neill Barston.

According to the company’s latest research, some 65% of consumers are now actively seeking out ranges that are less sweet than a decade ago, marking a pronounced shift in attitudes.

In response, Cargill has recently devised its EverSweet application, a breakthrough zero-calorie sweetener, which has been named a finalist in the Game Changing Innovation of the Year category at the 2025 Global Good Awards.

According to the company, the new line produced through  precision fermentation, delivers a sugar-like taste without bitterness while dramatically reducing resource use. Life Cycle Assessments confirm EverSweet achieves 96% lower land-use impact, 97% less water use, and 81% fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional stevia and sugar production.

“Consumers are redefining what they expect from food – great taste and healthy choices,” said Florian Schattenmann, Chief Technology Officer at Cargill. “EverSweet answers that call. It tastes like sugar, but without the calories, and uses a fraction of the resources. That’s innovation doing real work – better for people and for the planet.”

Since its launch, EverSweet, which uses the same sweetness compounds found in the stevia leaf, has gained traction with major food and beverage brands. Regulatory approvals are also expanding with EverSweet® stevia sweetener approved in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the EU.

Broader market signals point to rapid worldwide growth in stevia-based sweeteners. Product launches have grown from about 500 in 2007 to more than 8,700 in 2023, with the market projected to expand from $933 million in 2024 to $2.58 billion by 2034 (10.7% CAGR, Claight).

As the business added, EverSweet’s success reflects the work of 240 experts investing more than 300,000 hours of research and development uniting plant science, fermentation, sensory analysis, and food and beverage application expertise. Their innovation demonstrates how scalable, next-generation ingredients can align with consumer demand.