Retail-Ready and Bulk Agave Syrup

Bluava® Agave Syrup (Nectar) is obtained from the Blue Agave plant Tequilana Weber by physical extraction, hydrolysis and purification of the naturally occurring fructans in the agave sap. It is a premium sweetener, 1.5 times sweeter than table sugar and certified Organic, Kosher, Halal and Non-GMO while being gluten free and vegan friendly.  Agave syrup is primarily used as a low glycemic, low calorie sweetener with a variety of applications in any food that sweeteners are used as well as can be found on most retail food shelves.

Bluava® Agave Syrup is grown, harvested, produced and packaged under one roof with the highest certifications in the marketplace, so you can be assured of the authenticity and quality of our products.

WHAT IS AGAVE NECTAR:

The Agave (uh-gah-vay) plant has long been cultivated in hilly, semi-arid, fertile volcanic soils of Mexico. The agave plants are large plants that resemble cactus or yuccas in both form and habitat, but they are actually succulents related to the lily. The plant’s fleshy, spiky leaves cover a pineapple-shaped heart called a “pina”, which contains a sweet sticky juice known in Mexico as aguamiel, or “honey water”. Ancient Mexicans considered the plant to be sacred. They believed the liquid or nectar from this plant purified the body and soul. The Tierra Group only produces it’s premium agave prducts using the blue agave tequilana weber.

RAW AGAVE SYRUP PRODUCTION:

After about 8 years of growth, the spiky leaves of the Agave plant are cut off to reveal a giant pineapple-looking core called the “pina”, weighing about 100 pounds. Agave syrup is made by extracting and filtering the sap from the pina, then heating the sap at a low temperature (under 118° F) to break down the inulin (a storage carbohydrate in the pina nectar) into a high fructose-containing liquid that results in a syrup that is slightly thinner than honey. Agave syrups may be heated for shorter or long times, resulting in lighter or darker syrups. The darker syrups are filtered less, and the solids left in the syrup make for a stronger flavored syrup comparable to maple syrup.

AGAVE PROPERTIES

Agave syrup is a good overall substitute for higher glycemic-inducing granulated sugars, liquid sugars, and can be used in more applications than artificial sweeteners for a variety of reasons. Unlike an artificial or non-nutritive sweetener Agave syrup is a real sugar. Agave syrup has functional properties similar to many sugars, with exception to its glycemic index (GI). This makes it a healthier alternative for many purposes, including:

• Weight Control: As 67% of the US adult population is overweight, Agave syrup’s low GI makes it suitable for consumers practicing low-carb or slow absorbing-carb diets for a variety of weight loss/management programs.
• Blood sugar control: Blood sugar control and progression towards insulin resistance is becoming increasingly important for disease prevention and control. Individuals wishing to control blood sugar closely monitor the GI of the foods they consume. Agave syrup has similar calories as other nutritive sweeteners, so calories must be taken into consideration, and responses to sweeteners vary from one individual to the next. However, agave syrup has a lower glycemic index than other refined sugars, so it gives slower rise to blood sugar. So, while agave syrup is not without calories, it is a suitable substitute for sugar to broaden dietary options for those wishing to help control blood sugar.
• Vegan diets: Sugars made from cane sugar, such as evaporated cane juice, granulated cane sugar, brown sugar and cane molasses are refined using activated bone char from animals. As such, these sugars are NOT suitable for vegan diets. Honey also utilizes bees for its production and is also not suitable for vegan diets. Agave syrup is vegan-friendly.
• Granulated and Liquid Sugar substitution: Agave syrup is about 40% sweeter than brown or granulated sugars, so less is used in food applications to provide similar sweetening. While it likely will take some slight recipe adjustments to substitute agave syrup for granulated sugars, it is much easier to formulate foods using agave than an artificial sweetener to substitute for sugar. Artificial sweeteners provide sweetness, but satisfy only few of the required functional properties of real sugars. Agave provides the same variety of functions (including browning, moisture retention, humectancy, freeze/thaw stability, and food preservation) as refined sugars. Agave syrup is most easily used to substitute for liquid sugars, as it is already in liquid form and has similar solids content as liquid sugars. Due to its lower GI, it can be used as a healthy alternative for higher glycemic liquid sugars, such as corn syrup, honey, brown rice syrup, and maple syrup.

HOW CAN I BUY TIERRA GROUP ORGANIC AGAVE PRODUCTS?

Are you looking for premium blue agave syrup? Check out more information about our agave syrup or contact us for a quote.

Sweetening Benefits of Agave Syrup

When comparing various types of sweeteners, you need to understand their properties and benefits. We have compiled a list of some of the most popular sweeteners and their comparisons with organic agave syrup. It’s not just about which has the lowest calories, sweetness levels and flavor profiles are equally important as is the Glycemic index. This is meant to be a helpful guide for how to use our Bluava® organic agave syrup in your existing or future product application.

AGAVE SYRUP VS. CORN SYRUP

Corn syrup has a glycemic index similar to white table sugar, but as a high glucose-containing syrup, it is only about 65% as sweet as white table sugar. Corn syrup is typically used in foods because it reduces crystallization and adds softening. Agave syrup also has this humectants property, but it is over twice as sweet as corn syrup and has less than half the glycemic response.

AGAVE SYRUP VS. HONEY

Agave syrup, particularly lighter varieties, have more neutral flavor profiles than honey, making them more easily incorporated into flavor systems. Further, unlike honey, agave syrup has no association with animals, so it is completely vegan-friendly. Agave syrup also has a lower GI than honey. Agave syrup has significantly less glucose than honey, so agave syrup will not crystallize during storage and the syrup has a lower viscosity than honey making it easier to use than honey.

AGAVE SYRUP VS. BROWN RICE SYRUP

Brown rice syrup is a liquid sweetener often used in cereal bars and natural food recipes. Though it is said to have a low glycemic index, it is not recommended for diabetics, since its sweetness comes from maltose, which is known to cause spikes in blood sugar. While the caloric count of brown rice syrup is similar to agave syrup, agave is close to three times as sweet as brown rice syrup, so one can use much less agave to achieve the same level of sweetness. Agave syrup also has greater humectants properties than brown rice syrup, so addition can add greater softness over the bar’s shelf life. In some instances, combinations of brown rice syrup and agave may be used to provide functional and cost synergy for food product development.

AGAVE SYRUP VS. MAPLE SYRUP

Pure maple syrup has a glycemic index of 54, which is somewhat lower than granulated sugar, but significant higher than agave syrup. Maple syrup, which has a sweetening power that is similar to agave syrup, is almost twice that of granulated sugar, but often has a metallic aftertaste at higher use levels and costs as much as twice agave syrup, making it unattractive for regular food ingredient use.

SWEETENER SUBSTITUTION SUGGESTIONS:

• Replace honey by equal portions of agave syrup
• Replace maple syrup by equal portions of agave syrup
• Replace brown rice syrup by using ½ as much agave syrup and adjust the liquid portion of formulas to make up the difference.
• Replace light corn syrup similar to replacing brown rice syrup in formulas.
• Replace the volume of granulated sugars (table sugar, Demerara sugar, Turbinado sugar, evaporated cane juice or organic sugars) in formulas by substituting 2/3 of the volume with agave syrup and reducing the other liquids in the formula by 1/3.
• Replace the volume of brown sugars in formulas by substituting 2/3 of the volume with agave syrup and reducing the volume of other liquids in the formula by ¼.
• When applying agave syrup to baked products, reduce oven temperatures by about 25° F and increase baking time, as the syrup can cause items to brown more quickly.

HOW CAN I BUY TIERRA GROUP ORGANIC AGAVE PRODUCTS?

Are our agave products right for you? Contact us for a quote or to discuss your needs.

How We Save You Money

Are you looking for premium blue agave products in retail or wholesale quantities? Check out more information about our agave syrup and agave inulin or contact us for a quote.

Private Label Agave Syrup Products

Private label product is quickly becoming a way of building brand loyalty by providing customers a premium product in their own packaging with the highest certifications in the market.

The Tierra Group can package in varied sizes for both retail and food distribution uses.

Looking for more information? Check out more details about our agave syrup or contact us for a quote.

SIZES

Canisters – 25.5 kg

Gallons – 5.5 kg net weight (1 US gallon)

Traditional Bottle – 11.75 oz  &  23.5 oz  (large sizes available in 36 oz & 44 oz)

Exclusive patented Bluava® Bottle – 11.75 oz & 23.5 oz

Stick Packs – Individual sticks – 7 grams

Agave Is A Low-Glycemic Sweetener

Agave syrup is low-glycemic sweetener that’s a great option for diabetics or people watching their weight. We’ve compiled a glycemic index chart showing a variety of popular sweeteners with their respective glycemic index scores. Agave syrup’s indicated low score makes it a great weight control/diabetic sweetener.

Bluava Agave Syrup has undergone extensive Glycemic Index testing at the GI Labs in Ontario Canada so we could give our diabetic customers exact numbers.
According to the lab report, the GI value of the Blue Agave Syrup was significantly lower than glucose GI (100). Using the classification of Brand-Miller, the Blue Agave Syrup is classified as a low GI food.

*These values are gathered from University of Sydney’s Glycemic Index Database at www.glycemicindex.com
**These values are gathered from www.diabetesnet.com/diabetes_food_diet/glycemic_index.php
***These values are gathered from www.greenmagazines.com/organic/alternative-sugars.php

Are you looking for premium blue agave products in retail or wholesale quantities? Check out more information about our agave syrup and agave inulin or contact us for a quote.

THE CURRENT MEXICO NOM:

1. THE OFFICIAL MEXICAN STANDARDIZED NORMS

Article 52 of Mexico’s Federal Law on Metrology and Normalization (“LFMN”) provides as a general matter that all products and services shall comply with applicable Official Mexican Standardized Norms, or NOMs.

NOMs are issued by agencies of Mexico’s Federal Government to establish the characteristics and specifications of certain products manufactured, produced, exported, imported or used in Mexico. According to the LFMN, observing the NOMs is the law in Mexico.

Articles 4 and 5 of Mexico’s Foreign Trade Law and article 36 of Mexico’s Customs Law provide that any products governed by NOMs shall conform to the applicable NOMs in order for the product to be exported from Mexico. Although certifications of NOM compliance are not required, producers, traders, exporters and importers are responsible for their products’ compliance with applicable NOMs.

2. THE AGAVE SYRUP NOM

The Agave Syrup NOM, or NOM NMX-FF-110-SCFI-2008 (the “Agave Syrup NOM”), establishes the specifications of agave syrup, including its constituent and physiochemical specifications. According to the NOM agave syrup must be produced 100% from agave plant (cfr. §5) and should not be adulterated with food additives or mixed with sugars other than sugars of agave origin (cfr. §6.1.5). Agave syrup can be produced exclusively from the Agave Blue Tequilana Weber plant (cfr. §1), and the NOM does not allow mixing agaves to produce Agave Syrup (cfr. §6.1.1.2).

Also, pursuant to the Agave Syrup NOM, the Blue agave syrup must meet a physiochemical specification of at least 80% fructose and no more than 15% glucose (cfr. §6.1.2).

3. COMMENTS

The production in Mexico of any agave syrup that does not meet the Agave Syrup NOM’s specifications violates Mexican law. Mexican consumer protection and customs agencies may assess penalties on producers and exporters of such noncompliant agave syrup.

HOW CAN I BUY TIERRA GROUP AGAVE PRODUCTS?

Are you looking for premium blue agave products in retail or wholesale quantities? Check out more information about our agave syrup and agave inulin or contact us for a quote.