Sweegen, a pioneer in wellness ingredient technologies and innovations, announced the commercialization of its newest advancement in sweetness, the high-intensity sweetener brazzein. Starting this month, food and beverage brands seeking new ways to create better-for-you and reduced sugar products can begin product development activities with Sweegen’s Ultratia brazzein.

Samples are ready for brands interested in expanding their sugar reduction toolkits with cost-competitive ingredients to sugar. Brazzein is 500 to 2,000 times sweeter than regular sugar and low-calorie, making it an excellent alternative to sugar, artificial sweeteners, and old generation nature-based sweeteners such as stevia rebaudioside A.

"In 2021, Sweegen launched our Taste Blazer concept, which is a promise to the food and beverage industry that we will help forge a new path for creating truly better-for-you foods,” said Sally Aaron, senior vice president of marketing. “Sweegen’s Ultratia brazzein is a key tool to help brands explore entirely new ways to improve the health profile of existing and new products.”

Brazzein is a protein sweetener that promises little to no bitter aftertaste and helps reduce sweet linger, thereby reducing the taste challenges that have historically been a problem in the natural sweetener space. Brazzein is ideal for sugar reduction across various food and beverage applications.

“With Sweegen’s growing and proprietary portfolio of Signature Sweetness Solutions, product developers have more creative possibilities for developing mainstream reduced sugar foods and beverages, as well as innovations for popular diets such as Keto and low-to-no carbohydrate lifestyles,” said Aaron. “With Sweegen’s Ultratia brazzein, coupled with our portfolio of advanced stevia sweeteners, and our Flavors for Taste Modulation, featuring bitter blocking technology, brands now have modern tools for creating great-tasting products with consumer appeal,” said Aaron.

The pressure for mainstream food and beverage products to migrate to a healthier sugar and calorie profile has never been greater. Just last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region announced a new, voluntary Member State-led Sugar and Calorie Reduction Network to promote healthier diets and reduce overweight and obesity levels across the European region. The United Kingdom, which will lead the Network in its first three-year term, reports that sugar intake exceeds recommendations across all age groups in the country. The WHO reports that excess sugar consumption is true in many other countries in the European region.

“We’re charting new territory in sugar reduction solutions by bringing Sweegen’s Ultratia brazzein to market,” said Steven Chen, chief executive officer.

Brazzein’s extraordinary qualities enable it to join the ranks of other high-intensity sweeteners in a highly competitive way. Still, the quest to scale and commercialize has proven difficult until now. Found sparingly in nature, brazzein derives from the West African climbing plant’s fruit, oubli. To scale brazzein sustainably, Sweegen uses a proprietary precision fermentation process, a technology that produces clean and sustainable ingredients. In addition to scaling the manufacturing process, Sweegen is currently pursuing a range of global regulatory approvals.

“The launch of Sweegen’s Ultratia brazzein demonstrates our prioritized commitment to opening access to groundbreaking sugar reduction solutions for the global food and beverage industry,” said Chen. “We envision a better world through the lens of better foods for health and wellness.”