Start-Up May Have Sweetener Formula That Makes Sugar Obsolete

An Israeli entrepreneur and former PepsiCo exec has patented a clean-label sweetener he promises is a “breakthrough product that could ultimately make sugar obsolete.” Heylo is a proprietary combination of acacia and stevia, blended in a precise ratio using a technique that delivers clean taste and functionality. Unavoo Technologies, the brainchild of Yuval Maymon, says do-it-yourself concoctions of the two ingredients cannot duplicate the result. The patent protects the levels [of acacia and stevia], the formulation, and the interaction of the carrier with the sweetener. The sugar replacement market is large – as much as $20 billion – but current offerings have major problems that Heylo avoids. The biggest one: bulking agents (i.e., erythritol, maltodextrin, dextrose, maltitol and sorbitol) that comprise 80-90 percent of replacements.