Ingredion to Acquire a 75% Stake in PureCircle
 
In an agreement reached on April 9, the acquisition will allow Ingredion to invest in Stevia product development
 
Ingredion Incorporated and PureCircle have announced an agreement in which Ingredion will acquire a controlling 75% stake in PureCircle, a company specializing in stevia sweeteners for the food and beverage industries. Ingredion currently offers a wider range of plant-based ingredients.
 
The proposed acquisition has been approved by both companies, and it is expected that the transaction will close during the second half of 2020, subject to approval by PureCircle’s shareholders, and receipt of the required regulatory approvals. Until then, Ingredion and PureCircle will maintain separation and independence entirely.
 
“PureCircle is a widely recognized innovator with a proven track record for producing great-tasting, plant-based stevia,” Jim Zallie, Ingredion president and CEO said. “Ingredion’s successful and global go-to-market model combined with our formulation expertise will be highly complementary with PureCircle’s capabilities.”
 
Sweeteners from the stevia plant provide sugar-like taste, and are an increasingly utilized tool to address growing concerns about obesity and diabetes, as they enable low-calorie and zero-calorie formulations of beverages and foods. The sugar alternative is up to 350 times sweeter than sugar, and requires far less water and land than sugar for use as an ingredient in product formulations.
 
Ingredion’s specialty growth platforms include sugar reduction, and stevia is a core product for the company’s sugar reduction portfolio. Ingredion said in a statement that it has followed the development of PureCircle for several years, and believes that it is a fundamentally strong and attractive business that will be a great fit with Ingredion’s long-term strategy, due to the company’s innovation and manufacturing expertise related to stevia.

“We at PureCircle are glad to have found a strong partenr in Ingredion who shares our mission of encouraging healthy diets around the world and being the preferred supplier of high-purity, great-tasting stevia ingredients for the global food and beverage industry,” Peter Lai Hock Meng, PureCircle CEO, said. “This acquisition should excite the current and potential customers of both companies, as the combined companies will be able to serve our customers with better services, wider product range, and extend deeper into the global, regional, and local markets.” 
 
Both companies will be able to build on PureCircle’s strengths, and will be able to leverage Ingredion’s global market network, as well as its formulation expertise and broader product portfolio.
 
PureCircle’s position in the stevia industry has allowed it to develop stevia sweeteners and flavor modifiers supported by full vertical integration from a global network of manufacturing partners, and it has become a collaborative partner for many food and beverage companies. Additionally, its advanced plant breeding allows the company to devlier optimal products, Ingredion said. PureCircle currently has over 214 stevia-related patents, and is awaiting the results of 300 additional patent applications.