Sweegen's entire Signature Bestevia® portfolio of nature-based sweeteners and sweetener systems is now accessible to brands in Mexico after the country's food safety authority adopted the Codex Alimentarius (Codex) specifications for steviol glycosides produced by different technologies. This includes Sweegen's bioconversion method for producing clean and non-GMO stevia sweeteners, such as Rebaudiosides B, D, E, I, M, and N. Codex is the international food safety organization under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO). Adopting the rigorous Codex framework for stevia technologies provided a streamlined approach for reviewing and approving Sweegen's clean and sustainable bioconversion process.

This approval by Mexico will provide greater access to less common and better-tasting steviol glycosides at scale and a more sustainable supply of zero-calorie ingredients with a taste closest to sugar. Before the adoption, Sweegen's Rebaudiosides M and D were approved in Mexico through the standard regulatory process. The new regulatory development opens doors for Sweegen to introduce unique Signature sweetener systems to brands, in addition to its Rebs D and M, further expanding product developers' sugar reduction toolkits.

Sweegen's LATAM Innovation Studio is located in Mexico City and serves the entire region. It is one of many global creative centers home to product developers exploring sweet taste solutions, local consumer insights, and collaborating on new or reformulated products with Sweegen's expert food and applications team. Obesity, diabetes, and associated diseases are prevalent in Mexico and are leading public health concerns.

Adult obesity increased by 42.2% from 2000 to 2018. Childhood obesity is linked to high sugar consumption and saturated fats. In 2016, Mexico declared an epidemiological alert as a result of high rates of diabetes and obesity after a WHO report published in 2015 raised awareness on serious health issues and supported Mexico's sugar tax on all nonalcoholic beverages with added sugar in 2014.

UNICEF reports that Mexico is the consumer of ultra-processed products, including sugary drinks, in Latin American countries. Mexico's beverage sugar tax resulted in fewer people buying sodas, with an overall decline of just 7.6%. In 2020, food and beverage producers in Mexico felt more pressure by a government mandate to present new front-of-package labels warning consumers of excess calories, sugar, sodium, saturated fats, and trans-fats, as well as caffeine and artificial sweeteners.

With the Codex adoption, brands have new opportunities to connect with consumers by delivering a full sugar-like taste in food and beverages without the calories. This would be a significant advancement from several years ago when the first generation of stevia was introduced. Unlike first-generation stevia sweeteners like Rebaudioside A, new generation rebaudiosides made by bioconversion produce clean new generation sweetener molecules like Rebaudiosides B, D, E, I, M, and N, which are originally found in small quantities in the stevia leaf.

They impart a clean sugar-like taste with a better sensory profile and are highly sought-after by food and beverage manufacturers in countries with regulatory approvals.