Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition and protein discovery company Shiru have begun collaborations to develop and commercialise sweet proteins, which can be incorporated into beverages.
Ajinomoto will utilise Shiru’s AI protein discovery platform to bring new functional ingredients to the market, while the company will bring its fermentation expertise to the deal.
This is Ajinomoto’s first foray into the sweet protein sector, which is gaining significant traction as sugar takes the backseat — owing to the negative health impacts its overconsumption can have.
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Sweet proteins have become particularly popular in recent years, as they are able to sweeten food without spiking blood sugar levels.
A number of sweet proteins, which are often derived from fruits, have already been developed, but Ajinomoto believes they have strong promise as a sugar replacement option.
To overcome the challenges associated with lingering taste effects and stability, Shiru will use its Flourish technology — an AI-driven discovery platform — to find natural, food-safe proteins for this purpose.
Sweet proteins can deliver up to 5,000x more sweetness than sugar, and could replace 70–90% of sweetness provided by sugar in products, according to the company.
“Our partnership with Shiru is one of many examples of our approach to innovation,” said Chief Growth Officer and Executive Vice President at Ajinomoto Health and Nutrition, Ryan Smith.
“We believe this partnership will position both of us to innovate in the functional ingredients space —specifically in protein, an increasing category of interest for consumers. This partnership, and our balanced strengths, will allow us to identify natural proteins for use as sweeteners across numerous applications to meet the changing demands of the food industry and what consumers expect.”