Cargill EverSweet
A fermentation process produces EverSweet in a cost-effective way.

MINNEAPOLIS — Cargill on June 1 said it had received a letter of no objection from the Food and Drug Administration concerning the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status for the use of its EverSweet sweetener in foods and beverages.

“This milestone brings food and beverage companies one step closer to gaining access to a sweetener option that satisfies consumer desires for reduced calories without sacrificing great taste,” Minneapolis-based Cargill said.

Cargill introduced EverSweet last October. A fermentation process involving baker’s yeast creates the sweetener, which has a higher concentration of Rebaudioside M and Rebaudioside D, two of the sweetest steviol glycosides, than the concentration in stevia leaves. The fermentation process thus allows EverSweet to be commercially and sustainably viable, according to Cargill.