Brazzein additive to reduce bitterness in dutch-processed cocoa
GreenLab presents brazzein, a heat-stable sweetener additive, to modulate the bitter taste of Dutch-processed cocoa, enhancing flavor without added sugars. Ideal for calorie-conscious chocolate formulations, it maintains sweetness without lingering aftertaste.
Overview
Brazzein, developed by GreenLab, offers a novel solution to the bitterness challenge in Dutch-processed cocoa. Known for its reduced acidity, Dutch-processed cocoa often requires added sugars to mask its inherent bitterness. Brazzein, with its heat stability and sweetness profile similar to sucrose, provides an effective alternative to sugar, helping manufacturers create calorie-conscious chocolate formulations without compromising taste.
Technical specifications
Key features:
- Heat Stability: Brazzein remains stable at temperatures ranging from 100-140°C, ensuring its sweetness is retained during processing.
- Sweetness Profile: It mimics sucrose in sweetness and lacks the lingering aftertaste associated with many artificial and natural sweeteners.
- Versatility: Effective both as a standalone additive and in combination with other non-sucrose sweeteners, it offers flexibility in product formulation.
- Production Capability: GreenLab can produce brazzein in kilogram to ton quantities, supporting commercial-scale applications.
Technology readiness level
Currently at TRL 4, brazzein has been successfully produced in gram quantities and tested for thermal stability and bitterness reduction in laboratory settings. Future plans include sensory evaluations and integration tests in chocolate production, with completion expected within a year.
About GreenLab
GreenLab is a biotechnology company that has developed a proprietary platform, known as the GreenLab Vector Technology (GVT) platform, which utilizes corn as a high-yield, scalable system for the expression of recombinant proteins and enzymes. By leveraging traditional agricultural farming practices without requiring agronomic or mechanical changes, the company transforms cornfields into efficient manufacturing sites for next-generation proteins. This approach offers a sustainable alternative to traditional biomanufacturing methods like precision fermentation, enabling the production of high-value proteins—such as brazzein, a high-intensity sweetener—at a commercial scale with reduced inputs and significant scalability.
The platform addresses critical production bottlenecks in protein design and enzyme engineering, offering partners a path to market for sustainable ingredients in the food, energy, industrial, and pharmaceutical sectors. By integrating proprietary protein expression systems into corn, GreenLab helps companies optimize production costs and environmental impact, providing an end-to-end manufacturing solution. The company actively collaborates with industry partners, such as AI-driven ingredient discovery firms, to scale the production of novel functional proteins for CPG markets and beyond, demonstrating the commercial viability of its plant-based expression system.
delivered to your inbox.