c-LEcta and Leading Ingredient Company Develop Process to Expand Production of Plant-based Sweetener With Sugar-like Taste

LEIPZIG, Germany, June 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

• Successful cooperation leads to availability of a new great-tasting, zero-calorie, plant-based sweetener for beverage and food industries
• New product and commercialization have potential to prospectively take c-LEcta's sales to a new level

c-LEcta, a world-leading biotechnology company with focus on enzyme engineering and application in regulated markets like pharma and food, together with a leading ingredient company have developed a new method to help expand production of a new plant-based sweetener. The plant-based origin and safety of these sweeteners in combination with their very sugar-like taste make them suitable for large scale use in low- and zero-calorie beverages and foods like soft drinks or diet products. 

The German-based expert for industrial biotechnology applications c-LEcta, in cooperation with a leading ingredient supplier, developed a process based on enzymatic treatment of precursors of these sweeteners. This new enzymatic treatment now makes it possible to efficiently convert the precursors into a better tasting sweetener.

These sweeteners are safe and suitable for diabetics. The cultivation is more sustainable due to the smaller use of resources required in the process.

c-LEcta CEO Dr. Marc Struhalla comments: "We are very proud of what we have achieved in the framework of this close cooperation. Our highly effective enzyme process helps provide the food and beverage industry with greater supply of great-tasting, plant-based sweeteners. That increased supply helps enable production of zero-calorie soft drinks sweetened 100 percent with plant-based sweeteners. The enzyme technology made in Germany has been incorporated at commercial scale and has the potential to enable our partner to decisively change the world market for natural sweeteners." The sweetener produced via this process is USA FDA "GRAS" which means it is available for use by food and beverage companies in the USA.

Struhalla adds: "We have already expanded our enzyme production capacities and are confident that together with our partner we will be able to provide the required quantities for large-scale use of the sweetener in the food and beverage industry. The commercialization harbors the potential to prospectively take our sales to a new level and expands our existing product portfolio." c-LEcta has a proven track record of biotech products developed, manufactured and commercialized in-house. c-LEcta offers a variety of products used in the pharmaceutical and food industry. Relationships with leading industry players is a key component in c-LEcta's strategy to leverage the unique potentials of their core technologies. The company also offers its skills to the industry as a contract manufacturer

About c-LEcta 

c-LEcta is a fully integrated world-leading biotechnology company with focus on enzyme engineering and application in regulated markets like pharma and food. The company is located in Leipzig, Germany, and has established itself as a leading player in the realization of high-value biotech products, either as in-house developments or in close cooperation with the industry. It currently employs about 50 people.

c-LEcta delivers cost-efficient and sustainable production processes which enable to open new and to better penetrate existing markets. Fast and efficient development of best-in-class biotech solutions and a rapid and successful market introduction and commercialization of the resulting products are often achieved in working with leading industry companies. This enables c-LEcta to leverage the unique potentials of its core technologies. c-LEcta has a proven track record of more than 10 successfully commercialized high-value industrial biotech products.

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