A sweet revolution: Making better-for-you drinks even better

Wellness is increasingly front-of-mind for US consumers, one-third of whom prioritize health and wellness when buying food and beverages, according to a recent Circana study. In fact, those health-focused choices account for $638 billion of food and beverage spending, the study found.

When it comes to beverages, specifically, consumers are increasingly trending toward natural, zero-calorie options that are naturally sweetened with ingredients such as Stevia or monk fruit.

However, as consumers know, those sweeteners are often noted for lingering off-notes that make the transition to wholly natural sweeteners more challenging for beverage manufacturers and create barriers to widespread adoption.

The genesis of a solution

Recognizing this gap, CO_²Sustain, a company known for its carbonation innovations, embarked on a new venture using encapsulation technology to create TasteMod^² – a flavor-modifying product aimed at improving the taste of drinks that use high-intensity sweeteners like Stevia and sucralose.

“The science behind how TasteMod^² works is around the insolubility of some natural sweeteners – in particular Stevia. The bitter aftertaste of the sweetener is linked to that insolubility,” said John Story, technical director for CO_²Sustain.

TasteMod^² overcomes this challenge by using encapsulating technology that essentially wraps the problematic compounds, blocking them from the tongue’s taste receptors, Story explained.

“TasteMod^² is not a masking agent or traditional enhancer; its innovation lies in its unique encapsulation method,” Story said, noting that the exact details of TasteMod^² are a highly guarded secret as it is currently patent-pending.

For manufacturers, the benefits of TasteMod^² include:

An enhanced taste profile that improves consumer loyalty – which, in turn, builds market share
Significant taste benefits at a competitive cost
An applicable solution that works in both carbonated and non-carbonated drinks.
Healthy beverage formulations
The fact that TasteMod^² can be declared as a flavoring

Early success and consumer alignment

Initial feedback from early adopters of TasteMod^² has been very positive in ongoing independent taste analyses, Story noted.

“It aligns with health-conscious consumers as natural sweeteners offer great sweetness but with zero calories, and it can certainly help tick the better-for-you box,” he said.

The company’s previously successful launch of its carbonation technology, CO_²Sustain, informed the development and market strategy for TasteMod^², Story said.

“We obviously learned a lot when we launched CO_²Sustain, and we’re definitely using this learning in how we’ve developed TasteMod^², its USPs and its route to market,” he said. “We believe that the product can fast-track the adoption of high-intensity sweeteners without expensive R&D investments.”

Strategic launch and future impact

CO_²Sustain is currently positioning TasteMod^² for FEMA GRAS status – a program overseen by the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association to assess the safety of flavor ingredients used in food and determine if a flavoring substance is “generally recognized as safe” under the conditions of its intended use. In addition, the company is conducting ongoing in-house testing related to that classification.

With the goal of making healthy beverages more delicious, more accessible and more enjoyable for consumers, TasteMod^² has the potential to revolutionize the high- intensity sweetener landscape, Story said, ultimately accelerating what may lead to a “sweet revolution” in better-for-you beverages.

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