Sweegen has commercialized its high-intensity Ultratia brazzein sweetener.

Brazzein is 500 to 2,000 times sweeter than regular sugar and zero-calorie, making it an alternative to sugar, artificial sweeteners and 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, Sweegen’s senior VP 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 offers little to no bitter aftertaste and helps reduce sweet linger, reducing the taste challenges that have 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,” Aaron said. “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.”

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 CEO Steven Chen. “We envision a better world through the lens of better foods for health and wellness.”