Better Juice has expanded its sugar-reduction technology to include fruit sorbets, reducing sugar content by 50% to 70% and lowering calories by 40%, allowing manufacturers to formulate their products with reduced sugar content.
“We succeeded in creating delicious sorbets with as little as 2% percent sugar”
Sorbets naturally have high sugar content and typically contain about 50% puréed fruit, added sugars or alternative sweeteners, and water. Gali Yarom, co-founder and CEO of Better Juice, notes in the press release, “Even products claiming zero added sugar still house approximately 6% to 10% percent sugar from the fruit juice concentrates alone.” The high glycemic index of sorbets, due to the absence of fat and the presence of fruit sugars, results in rapid absorption of sugars into the bloodstream.
Better Juice has adapted its patented enzymatic technology to process fruit concentrates and purées, the main components of sorbets. The company has successfully produced sorbets in various flavors, including apple, orange, and strawberry.
How the technology works
The enzymatic technology utilizes non-GMO microorganisms to convert sucrose, glucose, and fructose in fruit juice into prebiotic oligosaccharides and other non-digestible fibers, maintaining the natural vitamins, fiber, and nutrients. The fruit juices are treated in continuous-flow columns with immobilized sugar-reducing beads.
Yarom states, “We succeeded in creating delicious sorbets with as little as 2% percent sugar. Our treated sorbets possess a more gentle sweetness yet retain all their characteristic fruity notes and flavor. Yet they have fewer calories and a lower glycemic index.”
Commercialization plans
Better Juice’s technology will be made available to ice cream chains and consumer packaged goods (CPG) ice cream and sorbet manufacturers through small plug-in units containing the patented enzymes. Manufacturers can reduce the sugar content of their products by up to 80%. Ice cream makers can also source reduced sugar concentrates from other B2B/C juice manufacturers in the US, who have agreements with Better Juice to install the sugar-reduction device in their facilities.
Regulatory approval
Having recently obtained self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status from the US FDA, Better Juice is set to commercialize its solution in the US. It plans to expand to Europe and other regions, with the capacity to process 250 million liters of sugar-reduced juice per year. Eran Blachinsky, PhD, co-founder and CTO of Better Juice, comments, “This accomplishment showcases our ability to broaden the scope of applications that our technology can apply to.
“Its potential goes beyond just fruit juices to any product that contains real fruit components, such as jams and fruit roll-ups, which are also in the pipeline for a Better Juice sugar reduction makeover. We deliver good news to consumers who are consciously seeking to reduce their sugar intake or with sugar sensitivities without having to give up the enjoyment of these sweet delights.”
Partnership with Ingredion
Earlier this year, Better Juice announced a partnership with Ingredion, a leading global provider of specialty ingredients. Ingredion Ventures, Ingredion’s venture investment arm, will lead the Series A funding round for Better Juice, accelerating the introduction of its sugar-reduction solution into the US juice market.
Yarom commented, “This important partnership step is truly exciting. It dovetails perfectly with the Better Juice strategy to penetrate the North American market. Ingredion was impressed by our non-GMO technology and its uses in a wide variety of applications. This move will open doors to leading food and beverage companies seeking sugar-reduction solutions for their products.”
Better Juice will showcase its technology at the IFT Expo in Chicago from July 15-17.
