Sweegen observes growing stevia and brazzein appetite as reduced sugar confectionery diversifies

12 Sep 2022 --- Consumers want indulgences with fewer calories to fit into their lifestyles, and taste is a priority for developing confectionery. This is fueling interest in zero-calorie sweeteners from plants such as stevia and fruit-based sweet proteins like brazzein and thaumatin.

Stevia is naturally appealing to consumers. With today’s stevia technology, confectionery manufacturers can now make indulgent, better-for-you products with less sugar and low calories, explains Casey McCormick, VP of global innovation at Sweegen.

“Stevia enables brands to diversify their product lines and increase their consumer base,” he tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Sweegen’s Signature Stevia portfolio is non-GMO and the heart of the company’s confectionery solutions for customizing specific applications, says McCormick. “Our Natural Flavors for Taste Modulation portfolio can customize bitter blockers and other sweetness enhancers to focus on texture, mouthfeel and bulk.”

As sugar reduction continues to top the trend chart in food and beverages, Sweegen is innovating ways for brands to prioritize taste while making better-for-you products.

In 2022, the company launched its Bestevia LQ, a collection of liquid stevia-based sweeteners.

“We have also recently announced commercialization plans for the highly sought-after sweet proteins Ultratia brazzein and thaumatin,” adds McCormick.

Stevia is naturally appealing to customers.Sugar reduction is a “complex task”
Formulating chocolate confectionery products can be complex, asserts McCormick. 

“In addition to innovating around interesting textures, desirable flavors and attractive colors, the biggest challenge in formulating confectionery chocolate is bitterness,” he continues. “The higher percentage of cocoa in products is typically met with more bitterness and less sugar, but healthier.”

However, brands that formulate with a zero-calorie nature-based sweetener, such as stevia, expands product portfolios with better-for-you claims. 

While creating zero-sugar or even reduced sugar confectionery products, product developers face hurdles in taste modulation. For example, a confectionery product with bitterness stemming from theobromine in dark chocolate can be mitigated with Sweegen’s bitter-blocking technology. 

“The promise is that this new generation of natural bitter blockers aims at multiple bitterants and leads to new product ideas and reformulations for our customers. The taste experience leads to repeat purchases,” explains McCormick.

The rising stars in sugar reduction
The new heroes of sugar reduction for expanding product developers’ toolkits are modern stevia technologies produced by bioconversion, such as Sweegen’s Signature Stevia rebaudiosides B, D, E, M, N, and now sweet proteins, such as brazzein and thaumatin, which are produced via precision fermentation. 

At IFT, Sweegen announced the commercial launch of its Bestevia LQ, a liquid stevia ideal in zero-sugar and low-calorie beverages and concentrates.

“We’ve had tremendous interest in our Ultratia brazzein for use across all food and beverage segments,” McCormick comments. “While brazzein has not been commercially available until now, it’s long been understood that it is highly soluble and has good stability at a low pH and in high heat applications.”

These attributes, combined with being up to 2,000 times sweeter than sugar, make the ingredient appealing to manufacturers.  

“Brazzein pairs very well with our Signature Stevia Sweetener Systems to deliver cost-effective solutions with excellent taste. “

Sweegen recently announced it would commercialize thaumatin I and thaumatin II this year through its partnership with Conagen.  

In a similar move, Conagen also revealed its plans to commercialize an expansive portfolio of natural sweetness enhancers for taste modification in sugar reduction solutions for F&B. The enhancers are made with precision fermentation, a technology that has led to the innovation of a comprehensive platform of phenolic antioxidants.Brazzein is up to 2,000 times sweeter than sugar, making the ingredient appealing to manufacturers.

Cost-effective solutions
Thaumatin, like brazzein, is a protein sweetener that occurs naturally in tropical plants and has a higher sweetness intensity than brazzein. According to McCormick, new production technologies will enable cost-effective solutions with these two protein sweeteners.

“Achieving low calories and zero or reduced sugar can lead to new market share and diversification. Consumers will continue to find comfort and indulgence in confectionery products, and as brands add a health halo, there are opportunities to grow,” he asserts. 

“With promising sweetener technologies such as Sweegen’s Ultratia brazzein and robust Signature Stevia, brands will have the sugar reduction tools to create consumer-winning sweet taste innovations.”

By Elizabeth Green