Ai-driven platform for natural sugar reduction in baked goods and confectionery
A novel AI-driven platform autonomously formulates natural sugar reduction systems for baked goods and confectionery. It combines high-throughput experimentation and Bayesian optimisation to identify clean-label ingredient systems that preserve sweetness and functionality.
Overview
The University of Nottingham presents a pioneering AI-driven platform designed to autonomously formulate naturally derived sugar-reduction systems for baked goods and confectionery. This innovative solution addresses the complex challenge of maintaining sweetness, texture, structure, and flavour in reduced-sugar products. By leveraging automated liquid handling and a closed-loop framework, the platform generates and tests diverse multi-component formulations. The solution aims to deliver validated, clean-label ingredient systems, ensuring high consumer acceptance.
Technical specifications
The platform integrates automated liquid handling to produce a range of formulations using fibres, rare sugars, natural sweeteners, and flavour modulators. Key experimental outputs such as texture, rheology, stability, browning proxies, and nutritional profiles are assessed through high-throughput experimentation. Bayesian optimisation and Design of Experiments (DoE) techniques are employed to explore the formulation space efficiently and effectively. This closed-loop methodology allows for periodic scale-up and sensory validation, ensuring the formulations are consumer-relevant and commercially viable.
Technology readiness level
The project has achieved a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 4, indicating that the technology has been validated in a laboratory environment. Future stages will focus on optimizing top candidates, assessing robustness, and ensuring manufacturability, ultimately delivering a scalable digital workflow for rapid reformulation.
About University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a comprehensive public research university and Russell Group member based in Nottingham, with campuses in China and Malaysia, enabling international collaboration and talent pipelines. Industry partners engage through an on-campus research and technology park that co-locates companies with university groups, plus shared-use facilities and pilot spaces for scale-up. Integration with a major NHS hospital system supports clinical trials and translation, while placements and professional programs connect companies with student and graduate talent. Research is supported by competitive funding from UKRI research councils and Innovate UK, with added support through NHS partnerships and European programs. A dedicated technology transfer office manages IP, licensing, and spinout formation.
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