Oobli, formerly Joywell Foods, a sweet protein developer from California, USA, announces that it has received what it claims to be the FDA’s first “No questions” letter for its brazzein protein made with precision fermentation.
The US Food and Drug Administration letter confirms Oobli’s self-affirmed GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status for Oubli Fruit Sweet Protein and supports its use as a food and beverage ingredient in the USA.
Ali Wing, CEO of Oobli, shares, “The “No questions” letter from the FDA is a further testament to the strong potential that sweet proteins have to disrupt our global dependence on sugar and alternative sweeteners. The Oubli Fruit Sweet Protein can be safely used in various foods with support from the general scientific community and the FDA.”
Sugar-like sweetness
Brazzein is a sweet-tasting protein found in the fruit of the West African Oubli plant that is said to be significantly sweeter than sugar. However, extracting brazzein from the fruits for large-scale commercial use is not feasible.
Brazzein’s use in F&B has already been proven versatile, adapting to recipes and different cooking temperatures. As explained by the company, it can replace 70% or more of sugar in most food and beverages, offering unlimited opportunities to reduce sugar consumption. Moreover, since it is digested as protein rather than as a simple carbohydrate, it does not contribute to diabetes, obesity, or sugar cravings
According to the company, sugar is heavily present in our food system, contributing to a rise in global health issues. Two out of every five Americans are obese, and over 140 million have type-2 diabetes or prediabetes. The average American consumes 17 teaspoons of sugar daily, leading to over-farming sugar cane, now considered among the top 10 worst global crops.
Jason Ryder, Oobli’s founder and CTO, comments: “Sweet proteins are a class of proteins that deliver a sugar-like sweetness but don’t affect blood sugar, insulin, or the gut microbiome.”
Changing the future of sweetness
Oobli was founded in 2014 to offer healthier alternatives to sugar, different from allulose, sucralose, or erythritol. After many years of R&D, the company has developed a platform to produce its novel, sweet protein using precision fermentation and yeast.
To introduce its flagship sweetener to the market, Oobli has established a B2B2C model and has introduced what it claims are the first-ever products created with Oubli Fruit Sweet Protein. These products are a selection of teas and chocolates (the dark chocolate is vegan) that are said to deliver the same flavor of traditional sugar-sweetened treats but without any compromises on health or the planet.
Meanwhile, the company, which says that its sweet proteins have the power to “rehabilitate” food, is looking to establish partnerships with CPG companies to develop a new wave of sweet products.
Ryder adds: “Oobli is changing the future of sweetness through the use of sweet proteins as a replacement for traditional cane sugar and other alternative sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, stevia, and erythritol.”
Oobli will be at the Future Food-Tech Conference in San Francisco this week, showcasing its range of products featuring the Oubli Fruit Sweet Protein.
