There are many sugar replacements around the world. From the most recognized artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, saccharin and sucralose, commonly used in diet drinks, to more innovative natural sweeteners, such as stevia. However, the consumption of sugar It continues to shoot up all over the planet.
“Sugar does much more than sweeten,” he explains. Mervyn de Souzasenior director of the American biotechnology company Ginkgo BioworkC. In several countries, obesity and diabetes rates continue to increase, which is why consumers are looking for healthier alternative sweeteners than sugar. Unfortunately, according to experts, the alternatives fall short. In the vast majority, the aftertaste and mouthfeel are usually not convincing.
Furthermore, in May of last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) I make a general recommendation against the use of sugar-free sweeteners for weight control, adding that they can also increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In another statement, it was also announced that the aspartame (sweetener widely used in diet sodas) has been designated as “possibly carcinogenicNo” by the agency’s experts.
Given this panorama, all over the world, there is a new race to find the healthiest and most versatile sweetener, which can contain the best flavor and displace sugar in mass consumption. One of the products that is positioned to achieve that objective is the allulose.
“We believe it is the holy grail of sugar replacement,” said the specialist. Ziv Zwighaft to the BBC. The allulose It has about 70 percent of the sweetness of sugar, but is very low in calories and has a negligible impact on the blood sugar levels, an effect measured by the glycemic index. The component is found naturally in small quantities in figs and raisins, but so far its production is very expensive.
However, the Israeli company Ambrosia Bio Dr. Zwighaft, reported that he has a dramatically cheaper way to produce it. According to the expert, you can develop allulose through a patented enzyme, produced by a genetically modified microorganism, which uses sugar or high fructose corn syrup as raw material.
“The global sugar substitute industry is on a clear upward trajectory,” he noted. Gaurav Sahnianalyst at the innovation consultancy GreyB to the BBC. The consulting firm projects that the global sugar substitute market, worth about $17 billion today, will be worth more than $28 billion within a decade.
In the United States, the tagatose It is one of the sweeteners that is taking the first steps. It is considered an excellent sugar substitute in all aspects, even surpassing allulose with 90 percent of the sweetness. “It’s even more like sugar,” he said. Ed Rogers, CEO of the startup Bonumosespecialized in its preparation.
The American startup Oobli produces sweet proteins by fermenting sugar, using genetically modified yeast. “Sweet proteins work perfectly in soft drinks,” he declared. Ali Wing, CEO of Oobli. The so-called “sweet proteins” are found naturally in some tropical fruits and berries and, according to specialists, have a sweeter taste than other sweeteners.
But all these proposals go through the same difficulty. Emerging producers must demonstrate that they can develop their alternatives reliably and on a massive scale at a competitive cost. In addition, regulatory approval must be obtained so that these new ingredients can be marketed in regional markets. And finally, the great challenge of convincing the consumer to try the product.
by RN
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