Truvia® sweetener offers a great-tasting new option to help maintain a healthier lifestyle with calorie-free sweetness from the stevia leaf

TORONTO, June 10, 2013 /CNW/ - A great-tasting, calorie-free sweetener derived from the best-tasting part of the stevia leaf has arrived in Canada. Truvia^® sweetener, recently approved by Health Canada, offers a great new option to support healthier lifestyle choices.

Truvia^® sweetener represents a new category of sweeteners from a natural source that can be added to a range of food and beverages. It has a crystal form that sprinkles just like sugar with no unpleasant aftertaste. It's ideal for coffee, tea and other beverages and on cereal, fruit, oatmeal and yogurt. It can also be used in cooking and baking. One 3g packet of Truvia^® sweetener provides the same sweetness as two teaspoons (10 mL) of sugar.

"Truvia^® sweetener offers Canadians a versatile alternative to artificial sweeteners that can be included in a range of food and beverage choices every day," says Lydia Knorr, RD. "New options like this can help make it easier to follow a healthier lifestyle by enhancing our taste experience without adding sugar and calories to our diet. In addition, it is an excellent choice for diabetics as Truvia^® sweetener has no impact on blood glucose or insulin levels."

From best part of the stevia plant
Truvia^® sweetener is made with Truvia^® stevia leaf extract, which is the best-tasting part of the stevia plant. Stevia, a member of the Chrysanthemum family, was discovered in South America more than 200 years ago and has been used as a sweetener in other parts of the world for more than three decades.

Leading the way
Truvia^® sweetener is made by Cargill, which has led the way in bringing Truvia^® stevia leaf extract to the market, opening the category of calorie-free sweeteners derived from a natural source. Cargill's comprehensive peer-reviewed, published safety data on steviol glycosides were pivotal in Health Canada's approval (in November 2012) of the use of Truvia^® stevia leaf extract as a tabletop sweetener and sweetener in certain food categories in Canada.

Truvia^® sweetener is already the number one sweetener in the natural sugar substitute category in the United States, the United Kingdom, Venezuela and Spain. It is also available in Mexico and select European countries. To ensure quality and consistency, Cargill manages every step of the production process, from the leaf to the packet.

Formats and availability
Truvia^® sweetener is available in Canada in 40- and 80-packet boxes and in a convenient 270g spoonable jar format at Loblaws banner stores, Metro, Safeway, Sobey's and other retailers across Canada.

About Cargill
Truvia^® sweetener is made by Cargill, an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 142,000 people in 66 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information visit www.truvia.com/canada or www.cargill.ca.

SOURCE: Truvia