New Low Cost Sweetener Unveiled

MUMBAI, IndiaAn Indian pharmaceutical company, Alkem Laboratories, has developed a new, inexpensive, low-calorie sweetener targeted toward the food and beverage market. As reported by The Global Diabetes Community (Diabetes.co.uk), the sweetener, dubbed Nano Sugar, is manufactured from sugar-cane juice, which the manufacturer concentrates in order to increase the sweetness level. Subsequently, this will help food and beverage manufacturers reduce total calories in a wide range of products. Nano Sugar reportedly displays a sweetness level seven times greater than regular sugar.

Alkem Laboratories hopes to bring Nano Sugar to the food and beverage market at a cost thats comparable to sugar, thereby making it an attractive option from a price perspective compared to other available, premium alternative sweeteners.

The company notes that a primary target market for the sweetener is food and beverage products for diabetics. Clinical studies demonstrated that Nano Sugar does not increase glucose levels in diabetes patients. India has the highest number of diabetics in the world, totaling around 50 million people. And, as reported by Diabetes.co.uk, the country annually consumes around 25 million tons of sugar.

Alkem Laboratories plans to initially promote the sweetener through chemists and health centers before moving to the retail sector. The company is currently in the process of filing patents for the product in multiple global markets.

One potential caveat related to Nano Sugar is the technology required to manufacture the ingredient. The process involves nanotechnology, as the sweeteners name implies, and the process reportedly may prove more challenging that initially thought.