Sweet Green Fields Stevia Extracts Hit High Note with Lerum Fabrikker's Award-Winning Jams and Juices

BELLINGHAM, Wash., July 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sweet Green Fields, a leading U.S. based global producer of high purity stevia extracts, is pleased to announce its involvement with Lerum Fabrikker's new stevia "lett fra naturen" (light from nature) product line, some of which were awarded top honors at this year's iTQi Superior Taste Awards. A Norwegian fruit jam, juices and soft drinks manufacturer, Lerum Fabrikker exclusively uses Sweet Green Fields to provide high purity stevia sweetener to its line of dilutable fruit drinks and jams that boast delicious sweet flavor with a fraction of the calories compared to traditional products. Three of Lerum Fabrikker's stevia based products – strawberry jam, raspberry jam and apple-pear juice concentrate were awarded two golden stars at the annual industry event held in Brussels, Belgium categorizing the drinks and jams as "remarkable" products.

Lerum Fabrikker began working with Sweet Green Fields and their partner, IMCD, a little over a year ago with the goal of developing a delicious line of jams and beverages without added sugar, while retaining a refreshingly fruity flavor. Utilizing Optesse HPS from Sweet Green Fields, Lerum Fabrikker created a 50-percent sugar reduced line for consumers seeking a smart and healthy option without sacrificing taste.

"Recently expanding our portfolio of science-based, all-natural stevia solutions, Sweet Green Fields is meeting our food and beverage customers' complex formulation needs for high purity glycoside compositions," said Dean Francis, Chief Executive Officer of Sweet Green Fields. "Through extensive research, we have achieved a solution for manufacturers looking for diet and reduced calorie packaged products."

Optesse HPS, composed of purified Rebaudioside-A (RA), is a high purity sweetener with taste and cost advantages to create the "right calorie" product for blending with sugar and fructose. Ideal for 33- to 50-percent reduced sugar blended formulations from soft drinks to baked goods; the benefit is a clear, sweet taste with lower calories.

Like all current Sweet Green Fields stevia offerings, Optesse HPS products are produced using the company's patented and all-natural Fast Precipitation Process that extracts high quality stevia glycosides in a fraction of the time compared to standard industry methods.

Sweet Green Fields will be sampling its award-winning stevia extracts, including Puresse 100 and Optesse HPX and HPS, in booth 1671 at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Show in Chicago July 13 – 16.

For additional information, visit www.sweetgreenfields.com.

About Sweet Green Fields
Sweet Green Fields (SGF) is a leading U.S. producer of sweeteners derived from stevia, including high-purity stevia extracts and Rebaudioside-A. With a vertically integrated supply chain from seed to final sweetener operating in three continents, Sweet Green Fields markets natural sweeteners globally to food and beverage companies. Sweet Green Fields also provides formulation assistance with its line of sweeteners. The company has formulated reduced sugar applications in beverages, dairy, baking, and confectionary. www.sweetgreenfields.com

About Stevia and Stevia Extracts
Stevia is a plant of the Asteraceae (sunflower) family whose leaves have been used as a sweetener in South America for hundreds of years. Stevia extracts are the first all-natural, zero calorie high intensity sweetener that deliver on key food and beverage formulation metrics: zero calories, low Glycemic index, heat stable, pH stable, shelf stable, non GMO, Kosher and Halal and cost competitive on a sucrose equivalency sweetening unit.

SOURCE Sweet Green Fields