GLG utilizes MycoTech’s mushroom-fueled bitter blocking technology to tackle bitterness in stevia, monk fruit
MycoTech’s organic certified ‘ClearTaste’ powder, which can be described on the ingredients list as ’natural flavor(ing)’ or ‘natural flavor enhancer’, is derived from mushroom mycelium, and has been shown to block the bitter and stringent notes in stevia and other ingredients, from potassium chloride to pea protein, coffee, red ginseng, cranberry, and coconut water.
Under the deal, GLG will use ClearTaste in its stevia and monk fruit sweeteners, but will also explore its application in other products, said GLG president and CFO Brian Meadows.
“Our initial goal is to immediately commercialize MycoTech’s innovative technology with GLG’s stevia and monk fruit products. We expect to follow shortly thereafter this year with other solutions to improve the taste of natural ingredients that have aftertaste issues but offer important functionality.”
The initial term of the agreement is five years, during which time GLG would be MycoTechnology’s preferred vendor of stevia and monk fruit products. GLG will also have certain exclusivities in the commercial agreement with MycoTechnology products, and will also work directly with MycoTech to produce new products using both companies’ technologies in return for purchase commitments with MycoTech, added Meadows.
MycoTech CEO: ClearTaste is natural, whereas most bitter blockers out there are chemical based
MycoTech CEO Alan Hahn added: “ClearTaste is natural, whereas most bitter blockers out there are chemical based. It also works across a very broad spectrum of chemical substrates which is also unique as most chemical blockers only tend to work on one or two.”
In July 2015, Colorado-based MycoTechnology closed a Series A financing round for $9.2m led by S2G Ventures with participation from Seventures Partners and Middleland Capital.
Speaking to FoodNavigator-USA after sealing the deal, MycoTech marketing manager Josh Hahn said ClearTaste could be added to stevia during the wet stage of the extraction process and then spray dried together with the stevia.
Asked about its regulatory status, he said that MycoTechnology was working with a GLP accredited laboratory to provide the necessary data to put together a GRAS determination for ClearTaste products.
Learn more about ClearTaste below:
