We Didn't Look For a New Sweetener.
We Reverse-Engineered Sugar.
The End of "Good Enough."
The Beginning of Perfect Sweetness.
The story of food innovation has been a history of compromises. To create healthier foods, we've accepted weaker textures and tolerated strange aftertastes. At Fooditive, we knew this was the wrong approach. The problem wasn't sugar's taste—it was its caloric and metabolic impact.
So, we didn't look for a new sweetener. We reverse-engineered sugar.
Our mission was to create a molecule that could replicate the full functionality and taste of sugar with a different biological destiny. The result is Fooditive Sweetener®, a revolutionary licensed technology that produces 5-Keto-D-Fructose—a rare keto-sugar that exists in nature but has now been perfected by science.
It is a monosaccharide bulk sweetener, produced from plant-based fructose (from sources like apples and pears) via our proprietary, non-GMO precision fermentation process. Our technology delivers an ingredient of unparalleled quality, with a purity of ≥98.5%, a clean, sucrose-like taste, and an estimated caloric value of only 1.5 kcal/g—over 60% less than sugar.
This is not just another alternative. This is the solution the industry has been waiting for, and it's ready to power your next great innovation.
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Safety and regulation
A Foundation of Safety, Verified by Global Standards
A Clear Path to a Clean Label. We are proactively engaging with regulatory authorities in the U.S. to establish a simple, scientifically accurate, and consumer-friendly common name for our sweetener, such as "Ketose." Our objective is to ensure the final name on the ingredient list is clean and non-misleading, accurately reflecting its unique, low-calorie nature, consistent with the precedent set for "Allulose."
Furthermore, our comprehensive safety dossier provides the scientific evidence (low caloric value and negligible glycemic response) to support an exemption from the "Added Sug-ars" declaration on the U.S. Nutrition Facts panel—a critical advantage for all modern "better-for-you" products.
Please note that final naming and labelling requirements are subject to the specific regulations of each country and region.
We have followed a robust, science-led pathway for regulatory clearance in our primary market.
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Status: Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)
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Milestone 1 (2024): Achieved Self-Affirmed GRAS status, providing the legal basis for commercial use in the United States.
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Milestone 2 (2025): Submitted our full, comprehensive GRAS Notification (No. FO19337.00001) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their "no questions" letter.
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Our European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) application is prepared and will be submitted to align with our commercial partnership timelines and the latest EU regulatory frameworks.
We have a clear strategic roadmap for expanding regulatory approvals in other key global markets.
Uncompromising Safety, Proven by Science. Our GRAS conclusion is built on a foundation of modern, definitive toxicological science conducted to the highest international standards.
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Non-Genotoxic: Conclusively proven to be non-mutagenic (Ames Test, OECD 471) and non-clastogenic (Chromosomal Aberration, OECD 473). It does not damage genetic material.
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Low Systemic Toxicity: A comprehensive in silico analysis shows no alerts for carcinogenicity, hepatotoxicity, or other key toxicities, with a predicted acute oral toxicity of LD50 >5000 mg/kg.
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Allergen-Free & Non-GMO: Our sweetener is free from all major allergens and is produced via a completely non-GMO process.
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Ethical Approach: Our modern testing strategy establishes safety without the need for new animal studies, aligning with our commitment to ethical and sustainable innovation.
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Deconstruct and Rebuild Perfection
1. The Mission:
Our journey began not in a field, but at the white board. We didn't start by looking for a new plant to extract; we started by mapping the precise molecular functions of sucrose. We deconstructed its role in browning (the Maillard reaction), its function in creating texture (crystallization and viscosity), and its crucial impact on mouthfeel and freezing point. Our mission was to build a new molecule that could replicate these functions perfectly, but with a different biological destiny.
Finding Nature's Closest Match
2. The Blueprint:
Our reverse-engineering process led us to a specific molecular blueprint: a keto-sugar that had the same carbon backbone and functional groups as fructose, but was configured in a way that the human body would not recognize as a high-energy fuel. We found this exact blueprint in 5-Keto-D-Fructose, a rare sugar that nature creates but never accumulates.
The Process
Our unique process
The Smart Feedstock:
We started with fructose from apples and pears, but engineered our process to be robust enough to use lower-cost, upcycled fruit side-streams, creating a truly circular and sustainable manufacturing platform.
The Biological Engine
We use a proprietary, non-GMO strain of Gluconobacter oxydans—an organism with an 80-year history of safely making food ingredients like vinegar. This is our biological "chassis."
The Key Transformation
Our breakthrough is the precise, controlled enzymatic process that performs a single, targeted oxidation on the fructose molecule. It is a clean, efficient biotransformation that achieves >95% conversion yield, resulting in a final product of unparalleled purity (≥98.5%).
A Licensed Technology Platform, Not Just a Product
3. The Result:
The outcome of our obsession is not a bag of powder. It is a complete, validated, and scalable technology platform. We don't want to be just another name on your ingredient list. We want to be your in-house innovation partner.
The Licensing Advantage:
More Than an Ingredient, a Strategic Partnership
We don't sell our sweetener by the kilogram. We license our entire biotechnology platform to empower you to win. This unique partnership model provides our licensees with a set of strategic advantages that go far beyond a simple purchasing relationship.
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Supply Chain Control & Cost Leadership
Take control of your most critical innovation. By producing in-house or with a local partner, you eliminate the ingredient supplier's margin, secure your supply against global disruptions, and leverage our high-yield (>95%) process to achieve a lower, more predictable long-term cost than any purchased alternative.
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A Powerful, Authentic Sustainability Story
Create a true circular economy narrative for your brand. Our platform is engineered to use upcycled fruit side-streams, turning waste into value. Localized production drastically reduces transportation emissions, providing a tangible and marketable improvement to your carbon footprint and ESG goals.
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Accelerated and Protected Innovation
Out-innovate your competition. Licensing our platform gives your R&D team exclusive access to a superior ingredient and the ability to create proprietary sweetening systems. Our sweetener's unique ability to mask off-notes unlocks new formulation possibilities, allowing you to develop next-generation products that are years ahead of the market.
Best Sweetener Applications
Fooditive Sweetener® is not a niche ingredient; it is a versatile, multi-functional technology platform designed to solve the toughest sugar reduction challenges
Regulatory Status
United States
Generally Recognized As Safe (Self-Affirmed GRAS Q4 2024, GRAS Notice No. FO19337.00001). Our full FDA GRAS Notification was submitted on March 24, 2025, with a "no questions" letter anticipated.
Europe
Our EFSA Novel Food application strategy will be advanced in coordination with committed EU-based licensing partners.
Regulatory approval pathways in other key international markets will be pursued in alignment with licensee demand and strategic partnership objectives.
Other Regions
Our safety assessment for 5-KDF includes: Non-mutagenic (AMES, OECD 471), Non-clastogenic (OECD 473), low systemic toxicity (LD50 >5000 mg/kg bw), rapid excretion.
Toxicology & Safety
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