Efficient Techniques for Low-Cost Sweetener Production
119 patents in this list
Updated:
Producing sweeteners that are both cost-effective and high-quality is a pressing challenge in the food industry. As consumer demand for low-calorie alternatives grows, manufacturers face pressure to deliver products that are not only affordable but also meet stringent purity standards. This delicate balance requires innovative approaches to synthesis and purification that can be scaled efficiently.
Key hurdles include optimizing microbial hosts for higher yields, managing byproducts during synthesis, and refining purification processes to achieve the desired sweetness without impurities. Each step must be carefully controlled to ensure the final product aligns with health and safety regulations while remaining economically viable.
This page explores a range of research-backed methods for sweetener production, from recombinant microbial hosts to solvent-free purification techniques. By employing these advanced processes, manufacturers can enhance production efficiency, reduce costs, and maintain high purity levels, ensuring a reliable supply of sweeteners that meet both industry and consumer expectations.
1. Recombinant Microbial Hosts Expressing Steviol Glycoside Biosynthesis Pathway Enzymes
Evolva SA, 2023
Recombinant microbial hosts for efficient production of steviol glycoside sweeteners like rebaudioside M. The hosts are engineered to express genes for key enzymes in the steviol biosynthesis pathway. These include genes for UDP-glucose synthesis, steviol glycosylation, and synthesis of precursor molecules like UTP.
2. Simulated Moving Bed Chromatography System for Solvent-Free Steviol Glycoside Purification
Orochem Technologies Inc., 2023
Continuous purification of steviol glycosides like rebaudioside D and M from crude stevia extracts using simulated moving bed chromatography without adding organic solvents. The process involves passing the extract through a series of adsorbent beds with water as the mobile phase to selectively retain impurities and enhance the steviol glycoside content. The method provides a cost-effective and scalable way to obtain purified steviol glycosides without using organic solvents.
3. Synthesis Process for High Purity Acesulfame Potassium via pH-Controlled Neutralization
Celanese International Corporation, 2023
Process to make high purity acesulfame potassium sweetener by controlling pH during synthesis to reduce impurities. It involves forming a cyclic sulfur trioxide adduct, hydrolyzing it to form acesulfame-H, neutralizing to form crude acesulfame potassium, then treating to make finished acesulfame potassium with low impurity levels. Keeping the neutralization pH at or below 11 reduces degradation and impurity formation.
4. Concentration and Separation Method for Reducing Acetoacetamide in Acesulfame Potassium Production
Celanese International Corporation, 2023
Process for producing high purity acesulfame potassium. The process involves concentrating a crude acesulfame potassium solution containing acesulfame potassium and acetoacetamide to form an intermediate acesulfame potassium composition with low acetoacetamide. The intermediate composition is then separated to obtain a finished acesulfame potassium product with reduced acetoacetamide compared to the crude input.
5. Process for Producing Acesulfame Potassium via Controlled Solvent-Cyclizing Agent Interaction
Celanese International Corporation, 2023
A process for producing high purity acesulfame potassium with reduced impurities like 5-chloro-acesulfame potassium that can be difficult to separate out. The process involves minimizing contact time between a solvent and cyclizing agent during the reaction to form a cyclic sulfur trioxide adduct. The adduct is then hydrolyzed and neutralized to produce high purity acesulfame potassium with less than 35 wppm 5-chloro-acesulfame potassium.
6. Recombinant Cell Production of Steviol Glycosides via Mutated UDP-Glycosyltransferase Enzymes
DSM IP ASSETS B.V., 2023
Producing steviol glycosides, such as rebaudioside A, from recombinant cells expressing modified UDP-glycosyltransferase enzymes. The modified enzymes have mutations compared to the wild-type Stevia rebaudiana enzymes. Expressing the modified enzymes in cells to enable more efficient and scalable production of steviol glycosides as natural sweeteners compared to extracting from Stevia plants.
7. Biocatalytic Conversion Method Using Enzymes for Dihydrochalcone Synthesis from Plant Compounds
SYMRISE AG, 2023
Biocatalytic method for producing sweeteners and flavor enhancers like homoeriodictyol dihydrochalcone and hesperetin dihydrochalcone from plant compounds like phloretin. The method uses enzymes like oxidases, reductases, and methyltransferases to convert phloretin into the desired dihydrochalcones via steps like hydroxylation and methylation.
8. Process for Producing High Purity Acesulfame Potassium via Short Contact Cyclization and Sequential Hydrolyzing, Neutralizing, and Crystallizing Steps
Celanese International Corporation, 2023
A process for producing high purity acesulfame potassium with reduced levels of impurities like 5-chloro-acesulfame potassium. The process involves short contact times between the acetoacetamide salt and cyclizing agent to form a cyclic sulfur trioxide adduct, followed by hydrolyzing, neutralizing, and crystallizing steps to obtain the finished acesulfame potassium.
9. Controlled pH Neutralization Process for High Purity Acesulfame Potassium Production
Celanese International Corporation, 2023
Production of high purity acesulfame potassium compositions by controlling pH during neutralization to reduce impurities like acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid. The process involves hydrolyzing a sulfur trioxide adduct to form acesulfame-H, then neutralizing to form crude acesulfame potassium. By maintaining a pH below 11, impurity formation is minimized.
10. Stevia rebaudiana Cultivars with Self-Compatibility and Enhanced Steviol Glycoside Production
PureCircle USA Inc., 2023
Novel Stevia rebaudiana plant cultivars with traits like self-compatibility, high leaf yield, improved disease resistance, and increased steviol glycoside content. The plants are produced by controlled breeding using self-compatible varieties. The plants are processed to extract steviol glycosides for use as sweeteners and flavor enhancers in consumables.
11. Processes for Producing High Purity Acesulfame Potassium via Concentration and Crystallization to Minimize Acetoacetamide Impurities
Celanese International Corporation, 2023
Processes for producing high purity acesulfame potassium compositions containing low amounts of impurities like acetoacetamide. The processes involve concentrating and separating steps to reduce impurity levels. The crude acesulfame composition is evaporated to form a concentrated intermediate composition with less water and impurities. This is crystallized and filtered to produce the finished acesulfame potassium composition containing reduced acetoacetamide.
12. Genetically Modified Microorganisms with Integrated Stevia Biosynthetic Pathway for Steviol Glycoside Production
EVOLVA SA, 2023
Recombinant microorganisms such as yeast or fungi that have been genetically modified to produce steviol glycosides like stevioside and rebaudioside in high yields. The modifications involve introducing genes encoding key enzymes from the stevia plant biosynthetic pathway into the microorganisms. This allows the microorganisms to synthesize the sweet compounds from inexpensive feedstocks, offering a more cost-effective and scalable way to produce steviol glycosides compared to extracting them from the stevia plant.
13. Biocatalytic Production of Steviol Glycosides Using Enzyme-Producing Microorganisms from Carbohydrate Substrates
PURECIRCLE SDN BHD, 2023
Biocatalytic process for producing steviol glycosides like reb A and reb M from starting materials like glycerol, glucose, maltodextrin or existing steviol glycosides. The process involves using an enzyme-producing microorganism to convert the starting material into the desired steviol glycoside. The process can be optimized for yield and purity of the target glycoside. The microorganism can also be engineered to enhance specific glycoside conversions.
14. Recombinant Biomanufacturing of Stevia Sweeteners Using Genetically Engineered Cells Expressing Novel Glycosyltransferases
DSM IP ASSETS B.V., 2023
Producing stevia sweeteners through recombinant biomanufacturing using genetically engineered cells expressing novel glycosyltransferase enzymes. The process involves modifying the enzymes that convert steviol glycosides in the stevia plant to enhance production of targeted sweeteners like rebaudioside A.
15. Biocatalytic Conversion Process for Producing Purified Steviol Glycosides
PURECIRCLE SDN BHD, 2023
Producing highly purified steviol glycoside sweeteners like reb A and reb M using biocatalysts. The process involves contacting a starting composition with microorganisms or enzymes that can catalyze the conversion of the starting materials to the target steviol glycoside. This allows efficient and scalable production of steviol glycosides from various organic substrates, providing a cost-effective alternative to extraction from Stevia plants.
16. Method for Producing Stable Flakes from Active Ingredient Mixtures Using Heated Belt Drying
Flavorsense, 2022
A process for drying active ingredients like flavors and extracts into stable flakes that can be used in foods, supplements, and medicines. The process involves spreading a wet mixture of the active ingredient, a carrier, and a stabilizer on a heated belt dryer. The mixture is dried to produce flakes with low moisture content and water activity. The flakes retain the active ingredient without volatilization or degradation.
17. Recombinant Biosynthetic Pathway for Enhanced Production of Rebaudioside D and M in Microbial Cells
EVOLVA SA, 2022
Methods for producing high quantities of Rebaudioside D and Rebaudioside M stevia sweeteners using recombinant techniques. The methods involve expressing specific biosynthetic genes in yeast or other cells to create an artificial biosynthetic pathway for these steviol glycosides. The recombinant cells can produce Rebaudioside D and Rebaudioside M at much higher yields than natural stevia plants. This allows commercial production of these steviol glycosides for use as sweeteners in foods and beverages.
18. Cardoon Cultivation System in Clayey Soil with Sequential Harvesting for Inulin and Biomass Extraction
NOVAMONT S.P.A., 2022
Cultivating cardoon plants to obtain inulin, biomass, seeds, oil, and protein flour. The plants are grown in clayey soil without significant fertilization. The above-ground parts are harvested in year 1 before flowering. From year 2 onward, the below-ground parts are harvested between flowering and senescence. The roots are cleaned, dried, and extracted to obtain inulin. The remaining biomass is pressed to extract more inulin. The harvested above-ground parts provide additional biomass and seeds/oil/protein. The process enables integrated production of valuable products from the cardoon plants.
19. Yerba Mate Extraction Process for Isolating Caffeic, Chlorogenic, and Dicaffeoylquinic Acids
CARGILL, INCORPORATED, 2022
Extracting health beneficial compounds like caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and dicaffeoylquinic acid from yerba mate to make a composition for use in beverages and food products. The extraction involves contacting yerba mate with a solvent, filtering to remove impurities, and eluting the desired compounds from the filter. The extract is then dried to obtain a composition rich in those compounds.
20. Biocatalytic Synthesis of Steviol Glycosides Using UDP-Glycosyltransferase UGT76G1
PURECIRCLE SDN BHD, 2022
Biocatalytic process to make highly purified steviol glycosides like rebaudioside A from organic compounds like glucose using enzymes. A key enzyme is UDP-glycosyltransferase UGT76G1, which adds glucose units to form rebaudioside A. The process involves converting starting compounds to target steviol glycosides by contacting with biocatalysts like enzymes or microorganisms. The starting compounds can be steviol glycosides or other organic compounds. The process allows efficient and economical production of highly purified steviol glycoside sweeteners using biocatalysis.
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