Stevia First Produces California-Grown Organic Stevia

SACRAMENTO, Calif.Stevia First Corporation announced initial pilot project results in support of organic stevia extract production in the United States.

The company successfully produced commercially-relevant quantities of USDA and California Certified Organic Farms organic stevia leaf in Northern California, as feedstock for its extraction system development.

Stevia First will continue to increase the availability of California-grown organic stevia through catalyzing a grower networkthe company is providing interested growers with the resources and knowledge to grow stevia at all phases of leaf production, and aims to provide significant domestic leaf extraction and processing capabilities.

Stevia First intends to help convert a portion of the estimated 2 million acres of the irrigated land in California available for forage crop production, in addition to converting under-producing vegetable and tree crop acreage to commercial stevia leaf production.

Earlier this year, Stevia First successfully implemented fermentation-based methods for directed enhancement of steviol glycosides from less marketable steviol glycosides.