Lampados International is completing a new plant expansion for the production of Liteez — a vegan, egg-free 3D meringue kiss sweetener for hot drinks. The larger facility will allow the company to meet the rapidly growing demand.
The facility will produce 8000 retail packages per day in the first stage, and will double production within a few months.
The company invested more than $500 thousand to increase production of the sweetener, which is available as either a stevia- or sucralose-based product.
The plant is BRC- and Kosher-certificated to meet food manufactures’, retailers’, and consumers’ highest standards of requirement.
“Production is now fully automated and modular, to allow maximum flexibility for increasing capacity as well as creating additional, customised sweeteners,” says Noam Kaplan, CEO of Lampados.
The new Lampados sweetener delivery system, designed like a meringue kiss, is egg-free and vegan, without compromising on flavour. Two Liteez contain only two calories, versus 20 calories in one teaspoon of table sugar.
“Put just two meringue kisses in your coffee, stir and drink. Or, eat them as a sweet treat,” says Kaplan.
One third of hot drinks served in high-street chains in the UK contain the same or more sugar than Coca-Cola, according to the non-profit group Action on Sugar.
Action on Sugar reported that its experts analysed 131 hot flavoured drinks, including coffees, mochas, lattes, hot fruit drinks and hot chocolates, among other drinks that are widely bought from some of the UK’s best-known coffee shops and fast-food chains.
Calling the findings “shocking,” a spokesman for the non-profit group said that 98% of the drinks tested would receive a red nutritional-value label for high sugar content.
“The demand for our 3D sweetener has grown extensively in Australia, India, South Africa, Europe and Central America,” adds Kaplan.
“Most of our clients are seeking to expand their portfolio with innovative sweeteners and/or cookies, and are keen to launch a next-gen sweetener that will give them a competitive edge in the market. Customers from the food service market commented that they were impressed by the innovation and the sensation experience reported by their consumers.”
Lampados Ltd, a family owned company, was founded in 1975. The company specialises in tabletop sweeteners and health products, such as sugar-free syrups.
CEO Noam Kaplan joined the company in 2009. Following substantial technology development and investment in plant facilities, including new equipment and automatic packaging systems, the manufacturing site has BRC Grade A certification.