Rogers Sugar Inc., parent of North American sugar manufacturer Lantic Inc., and DouxMatok, a food-tech company, have collaborated to deliver a unique sugar reduction solution based on cane sugar to food companies in North America.

DouxMatok's solution, which was validated in multiple consumer tests and professional panels, is expected to be available to the food industry in the United States in 2021. 

"We are extremely pleased to have secured an exclusive cane sugar manufacturing agreement with DouxMatok for this innovative technology that adds an important and much desired customer solution to our natural sweetener portfolio," said John Holliday, president and CEO of Lantic. "As we see a noticeable trend towards a return to natural cane sugar in many consumer products, the reduction of 30 to 50 percent in sugar content makes this move even more compelling. With proven commercial manufacturing in place, we are ready to support the commercialization of this new solution to food companies in the U.S. market." 

DouxMatok's solution is based on real cane sugar and has the same sensorial profile, taste and other functionalities as sugar. Its patented technology works by maximizing the efficiency of sugar delivery to the sweet taste receptors, enhancing consumers' perception of sweetness. This allows for considerable reduction in sugar content, while retaining the same taste consumers know and love. 

The solution offers a wide range of applications, including cookies, cakes, confectionery and chocolate. DouxMatok's technology platform is backed by 24 granted patents and has been developed for over six years by a leading multidisciplinary team of scientists.

Over the past two years, Lantic and DouxMatok have worked together to transition this innovation from pilot testing to successful commercial scale manufacturing within Lantic's existing sugar refining business, making industrial volumes already available. The companies are working with selected food companies to support the development of new products as well as the reformulation of existing products with less sugar, more fibers and proteins to secure overall better nutrition. 

"This exciting collaboration with Lantic represents an important step towards commercialization of our solution," said Eran Baniel, CEO of DouxMatok. "In working with Lantic and its passionate entrepreneurial team, we are confident we have the right partner to take on the largest sugar market in the world. We are particularly excited about our part in helping make the food we love healthier, especially amid growing concerns around rising obesity."