Sugar Australia today announced it has signed an agreement with Merisant Company 2 Sárl (Merisant), for the Australian and New Zealand distribution rights for the sweetener brand Equal® in both the Retail and Food service channels. The transition is expected to be completed by the end of March and a firm date will be advised shortly.

Merisant is a global leader in zero calorie tabletop sweeteners, and accounts for more than one-quarter of the estimated $1.2 billion global market. Equal® is the leading brand in the Australia/New Zealand tabletop sweetener category.

Sugar Australia CEO Mr Tim Hart said, “we are excited to be involved in the implementation of Merisant‘s global strategy to drive regional growth through the provision of high quality zero and low calorie sweeteners to consumers.”

Sugar Australia and Merisant enter into this partnership to create mutual value and enable sustainable growth in the wider sugar substitute’s category of sweeteners, through a shared commitment to innovation and stretch.

“The distributor agreement for Equal® supports our broader strategic platform to become the leading provider of ‘sweetening solutions’ across Australia and New Zealand by bringing innovative ideas to market for future growth,” said MrHart.

Sugar Australia is the leading refiner and marketer of the CSR brand of sugar in the Australian market and has demonstrated its ability to add significant value by growing retail market share for four consecutive years.