This new ultra-sweet protein can replace 90% of sugar in sweet foods
The oubli is an ultra-sweet tropical fruit from West Africa—but it's not full of sugar. Instead, it contains a type of sweet protein called brazzein. Recognizing the potential of sweet proteins to replace sugar, California-based food-tech company Oobli is using precision fermentation to make them at scale.
'Because they evolved along with us to trick us into thinking they were sugar, they hit our sweet taste receptors in a very similar way,' says Jason Ryder, Oobli's founder and chief technology officer. 'But after that, they digest just like other proteins do.' The proteins don't affect blood sugar, so they can avoid the health issues of sugar and sugar alternatives, such as heart attack and stroke.
Oobli's fermentation-based approach avoids the difficulty of harvesting the fruit in its native tropical environment. For every 1% reduction in sugar production, the company estimates that it can save 525,000 acres of land, 88 billion gallons of water, and a million metric tons of CO2 emissions.
In 2024, when the FDA reviewed the safety data for two of Oobli's proteins and raised no objections, other food-ingredient companies, such as Ingredion, ramped up their R&D with Oobli. The sweet proteins can replace up to 90% of sugar in most sweet food and drinks, and since the proteins can be as much as 5,000 times sweeter than sugar, only a tiny amount is needed. That helps the proteins compete on cost with sugar, which is cheap to produce. In products like baked goods, Oobli's alternatives leave room in recipes for other nutrients, such as extra fiber. They can also be used to reduce the aftertaste of sugar alternatives.
The company now makes its own line of chocolates using the proteins. Multiple global brands, including Mexico-based Grupo Bimbo, the world's largest baked goods company, are preparing to launch products with the ingredients soon.
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