ReSugar: Novel disaccharide in the works
Israeli startup ReSugar - which has developed a sugar replacer now deployed in some Nestlé products that combines inulin, fructose, and natural flavors – is also working on a second product described as a "disaccharide that exists in nature" that ReSugar is aiming to produce via an enzymatic process using cane sugar as a starting material.
The final product - developed in conjunction with scientists from The Technion: Israel Institute of Technology - will have virtually no calories, and will not be metabolized in the same way as sucrose, claimed the firm.
“It’s a sugar, but it's metabolized differently than sugar and we know this because humans don’t have the enzyme to break it down [in the small intestine]," said CEO Niv Ben-Ami.
The next step will be a GRAS determination if the firm targets the US market.