Al Ain Dairy, one of the largest dairies and juice producers in the UAE, said it has become the first in the country to introduce Stevia as a natural sugar replacement in its new Green Cocktail Nectar drink.

Stevia is a new zero calorie sweetening option which is actually derived from the leafy green foliage of the Stevia Plant (Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni).

It is known as the “sugar leaf’ and very much lives up to its hype with Stevia being some 300 to 400 times sweeter than cane sugar when refined. It is no surprise that Stevia is increasingly used worldwide as a dietary supplement.

With manufactures looking for an alternative replacement for cane sugar and artificial sweeteners such as sucrose, aspartame or saccharin, Stevia is rising in popularity, said a top official.

'Green Cocktail has been developed exclusively as part of the dairy's ongoing new product development which aims to satisfy niche customers besides encouraging and developing healthy eating lifestyle habits,' remarked Kingston Fernandez, the  head of sales at Al Ain Dairy.

'It is a sumptuous blend of Mango and Apple, Kiwi and refreshing Lime juice and is a unique, never before seen combination of delicious flavours,' he explained.

'Green Cocktail Nectar with natural Stevia added effectively delivers 30 per cent less sugar and is good news for those who want to reduce their sugar intake while still enjoying the fresh natural sweetness and goodness of fresh juice,' said Fernandez.

Al Ain Dairy, he said, was delivering on its plan to meet the changing tastes of consumers and Green Cocktail Nectar fills a much needed gap in the market for new and unique flavor combinations.

The new drink comes in 1.8 and 1 litre family packs as well 500 and 250 ml pet bottles and is available in all good supermarkets and groceries.-TradeArabia News Service