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In a significant development for the sugar industry, Bonumose LLC, a startup based in the US, has announced a groundbreaking advancement in the manufacturing of tagatose. This simple sugar, classified as a ketohexose, is found in a few naturally occurring and commercially produced sources and is approximately 90% as sweet as sucrose (table sugar) but has only about 38% of the calories.
The new manufacturing process, developed by Bonumose, significantly lowers production costs by 80%. This cost reduction is expected to make tagatose more accessible and affordable, potentially revolutionising the sugar substitute market.
The interest in tagatose is not new. Hershey's, a leading confectionery company, invested in Bonumose, enabling the construction of a manufacturing plant. Other notable companies, such as ASR Group, Symrise Flavors, and the Dutch company Nutrilab, have also shown interest in this promising sweetener.
Tagatose has been a subject of interest for several years. In 1992, Biospherics Incorporated developed and patented D-Tagatose. Arla Foods, a Danish dairy cooperative, licensed the patent for D-Tagatose from Biospherics Incorporated in 1997. Arla Foods announced that tagatose secured FDA GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status in 2001. Diet Pepsi was the first commercial product to contain tagatose, which was approved as a new food ingredient in the European Union in 2005.
Tagatose exhibits prebiotic effects, providing dietary fiber that supports healthy gut bacteria. Studies indicate that tagatose can help regulate blood sugar levels, making it an attractive option for those seeking healthier sugar alternatives. It has a low caloric content of 1.5 calories per gram, considerably lower than other sugar substitutes like allulose, which has 0.4 calories/gram.
In 2007, a subsidiary of Damhert named Nutrilab bought up Arla's remaining Tagatose supply and launched their branded sweetener, Tagatesse. Companies involved in the use of tagatose include supplement producers like Sunday Natural, which use tagatose for its prebiotic effects and natural sugar properties in their products.
Tagatose is currently produced by companies such as Newnature and Sigma-Aldrich (part of Merck KGaA). Newnature manufactures functional polyols including tagatose through GMP production with certifications like FSSC, ISO, Halal, and organic standards.
In a recent development, Symrise Flavors signed a minority investment agreement with Bonumose as of July 2023. This investment is expected to further boost the company's research and development efforts in tagatose production.
As the production costs of tagatose continue to decrease, it is likely that we will see more products containing this promising sugar substitute in the future. The FDA has ruled that tagatose must be disclosed on product labels as 'Added Sugars,' ensuring that consumers are aware of the ingredients in the products they purchase. With its prebiotic effects, low caloric content, and potential to regulate blood sugar levels, tagatose is a sweetener to watch in the coming years.
