Product launches containing natural sweeteners have tripled, according to information from Innova Market Insights, and nearly 60% of all products tracked with natural sweeteners had one or more “passive health” claims.

An analysis of the global product launches with natural sweeteners, including agave syrup/nectar, palm sugar, Stevia and monk fruit tracked by the Innova Database in H1 2011 versus H1 2012 globally, revealed that soft drinks is the main application for natural sweeteners.

The ingredients are also finding applications in bakery, cereals and confectionery categories. The biggest growth is reported for the sugar and sweeteners market, where Stevia is already well-established and agave syrup, palm sugar and monk fruit are entering the “natural table top sweeteners” category. For more details, visit www.innovadatabase.com.