Sugar alternative startup Oobli is making waves in the food industry with its plant-based sweeteners, and now they are taking their products to the next level with a new partnership with ingredients giant Ingredion. This collaboration aims to scale up production of Oobli’s sweet proteins, offering a healthier and more sustainable alternative to traditional sugar.
Oobli’s protein-based sweeteners, derived from two types of West African berries, are up to 2,000 times sweeter than sucrose. This allows them to replace the majority of sugar in various food and beverage products, including sodas, baked goods, and candies. With regulatory approval from the FDA to sell sweet proteins as a sweetener option, Oobli is paving the way for a new era of sugar reduction solutions.
The partnership with Ingredion opens up new opportunities for Oobli to reach a wider audience of food companies interested in reducing or replacing sugar in their products. By working together to develop co-branded products and explore market opportunities for sweet proteins and natural sweeteners like stevia, Oobli and Ingredion are at the forefront of innovation in the sugar reduction space.
“We’re collaborating to look at how we can make sweets healthier and make them available to more people,” said Oobli CEO Ali Wing. “There’s a lot of synergies that just make a ton of sense in this partnership. We might be able to help them complete solutions and vice versa.”
In addition to the health benefits of reducing sugar consumption, Oobli’s sweet proteins offer sustainability advantages as well. Traditional sugar farming has been linked to deforestation and environmental degradation, but Oobli’s plant-based solution provides a lower impact alternative for consumers craving something sweet.
As Oobli continues to gain momentum in the industry, they have also secured $18 million in funding from new investors, further solidifying their position as a leader in the alternative sweetener market. With a focus on providing consumers with the sweets they love in a healthier and more sustainable way, Oobli is on a mission to revolutionize the way we think about sugar and sweeteners.
As consumers increasingly value protein in their diets, Oobli’s sweeteners offer a unique combination of sweetness and health benefits. By mimicking small molecules and activating taste receptors associated with sweetness, Oobli’s proteins provide a satisfying alternative to traditional sugar without the negative health impacts.
“We need to ask our proteins to start to do more for us,” Wing said. “They shouldn’t just be about building muscle. It should also be about sweetening.”
With their innovative approach to sugar reduction and sustainability, Oobli and Ingredion are setting a new standard for the future of sweeteners in the food industry. By providing a healthier and more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional sugar, Oobli is paving the way for a sweeter, healthier future for consumers everywhere.
