Innovative technology from Better Juice reduces sugar in frozen desserts

Photo © AdobeStock.com/annapustynnikova

In a June 2024 news release, Better Juice announced it has expanded the use of its sugar-reducing technology to include fruit sorbets. Founded in Israel in 2018 with the goal to produce lower-sugar fruit juice, technology from Better Juice produced sorbet in multiple flavors with 50-70% reduced sugar and 40% reduced calories. Samples of the sorbet were showcased at the IFT Expo in Chicago in July 2024. As noted by Better Juice, according to a 2024 report from Innova Markets Insights, confectionary innovators have mainly focused on responding to consumer demands for healthier yet flavorful options by reducing sugar content in products.

“We succeeded in creating delicious sorbets with as little as 2% percent sugar,” explained Gali Yarom, co-founder and CEO of Better Juice, in the news release. “Our treated sorbets possess a more gentle sweetness yet retain all their characteristic fruity notes and flavor. Yet they have fewer calories and a lower glycemic index.”

Though sorbets are usually comprised of 50% fruit puree, water, and sweeteners, their glycemic index still generally exceeds ice cream’s glycemic index. “Even products claiming zero added sugar still house approximately 6% to 10% percent sugar from the fruit juice concentrates alone,” Yarom added.

Better Juice’s patented enzymatic technology involves treating the fruit juices in continuous flow columns containing immobilized sugar-reducing beads. As explained in the news release, the technology “is based on non-GMO microorganisms that naturally transform fruit juice’s composition of sucrose, glucose, and fructose into prebiotic oligosaccharides and other non-digestible fibers, without any impact on their natural complex of vitamins, fiber, and nutrients.”

Better Juice states that it recently acquired self-affirmed GRAS status from the FDA, and plans to provide its sugar-reduction technology in the form of small and easy-to-use plug-in units to manufacturers in the US and expand to Europe.

“This accomplishment showcases our ability to broaden the scope of applications that our technology can apply to,” added Eran Blachinsky, PhD, co-founder and CTO of Better Juice. “Its potential goes beyond just fruit juices to any product that contains real fruit components, such as jams and fruit roll-ups which are also in the pipeline for a Better Juice sugar reduction makeover. We deliver good news to consumers who are consciously seeking to reduce their sugar intake or with sugar sensitivities without having to give up the enjoyment of these sweet delights.”

In January 2024, Nutritional Outlook covered Better Juice’s announcement of its partnership with Ingredion to accelerate commercialization of sugar reduction solutions.