Better Juice, an Israeli FoodTech start-up, has successfully completed pilot trials to reduce simple sugars in natural berry and other fruit juices. Partnering with GEA Group, a leading food processing technology supplier, Better Juice hosted fruit juice manufacturers from around the world to test their groundbreaking sugar-reduction technology.
The trials took place at GEA's innovation center in Ahaus, Germany, and involved continuous flow columns containing Better Juice's sugar-reducing beads. The team achieved a 30% to 50% reduction in simple sugar content across various fruit juices, including strawberry, cherry, and blueberry, without compromising flavor or texture.
Better Juice's proprietary sugar-reduction beads use non-GMO microorganisms to convert sucrose, glucose, and fructose into prebiotic oligosaccharides and non-digestible fibers, maintaining the juice's nutritional value. The technology successfully treated clear NFC juices, dense concentrates, and pulp-retained juices.
With promising feedback, Better Juice anticipates sugar-reduced berry fruit juices to hit the shelves early next year, giving consumers healthier options while retaining the delicious taste they love.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Sugar-reduced Drinks
- Innovative startups can develop new methods to reduce simple sugars in various drinks without compromising the taste and nutritional value.
- Food Processing Innovation
- There is an opportunity for food processing technology suppliers to partner with startups to develop innovative sugar-reduction technologies and apply them to different fruit juices.
- Prebiotic Fibers in Drinks
- More food and beverage companies can incorporate prebiotic oligosaccharides and non-digestible fibers in their products after the successful trials conducted by Better Juice.
Where This Applies
- Beverage Industry
- Beverage companies can adopt Better Juice's sugar-reducing technology to develop healthier and tastier fruit juices.
- Food Processing Industry
- Food processing technology suppliers can collaborate with startups to create innovative solutions to make various food products healthier without compromising flavor.
- Health and Wellness Industry
- Health and wellness companies can capitalize on the increasing demand for healthier food and beverage options and market these sugar-reduced fruit juices as healthier choices.
