BELLINGHAM, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sweet Green Fields (SGF), the first U.S. company to commercialize and file a patent for the extraction of high purity Rebaudioside A (Reb-A), a sweetener derived from the Stevia plant, has received official notification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that their sweetener product is GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe).

In December 2008, the FDA issued a GRAS notice confirming they had “no objection” on Reb-A for use as a zero-calorie sweetener at a minimum of 95 percent purity. SGF has manufactured Reb-A for nearly a decade and currently manufactures at 97 percent purity, exceeding FDA specifications.

“We worked hard to produce an all-natural extraction process that creates a high-purity, yet better tasting product over other Stevia-derived sweetener producers who rushed into the marketplace,” said Dr. Mel Jackson, VP of Science at SGF and the creator of the extraction process.

In addition to leading the industry with the development of the first high purity extraction process, SGF has invested years in R&D resulting in the cultivation of proprietary Stevia hybrids that produce significantly higher Reb-A yield per acre. This means that SGF will be able to provide food and beverage manufacturers with a higher quality product at a more efficient price in the near future.

The FDA GRAS notification is another leap forward for SGF, who leads the pack in assisting food and beverage companies with Reb-A formulation and recipe modification. The company showcased 14 new prototype products this year at the International Food Trade Show in Anaheim, California including candy, colas, chocolate, cookies, ice cream, yogurt, fruit drinks and teas. All of the items were recognized by manufacturers as having a superior taste profile from other Reb-A alternatives.

SGF continues to expand its research and development of new formulations, including reduced-sugar formulations that allow food and beverage companies to minimize sweetener costs, while still maintaining sugar-like sweetness.

In a world of escalating obesity and diabetes, the zero-calorie, all-natural, non-enzymatic and non-GMO sweetener is considered to be a healthier alternative as an additive in foods and beverages than sucrose and other synthetic sweeteners.

In June, the company announced the opening of a new, world class, 1000 MT extraction facility in China. This facility will allow the company to expand its global footprint as demand for Reb-A increases throughout the world and will provide SGF with full control of all operations from seed to sweetener.

Sweet Green Fields (SGF) is a leading producer of high-purity Rebaudioside-A (Reb-A), with a vertically integrated supply chain operating globally. SGF markets natural sweeteners to food and beverage companies. SGF also provides formulation assistance with its line of sweeteners. The company has formulated no sugar added ice creams, cookies, candy, chocolate, yogurt, fruit drinks, teas and reduced sugar colas.