WELLINGTON: A low-calorie sugar alternative developed by New Zealanders from a Chinese melon called monk fruit is being showcased at a trade show in the US.
Developed by Kiwi and Chinese joint venture company Guilin GFS Monk Fruit Corp, Sweet-Delicious is a natural fruit juice that can be used as a sweetener. It is considered a food ingredient rather than an additive.
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The product will be officially launched at a food ingredient trade show in Chicago this weekend.
Auckland-based cereal and product development company Smartfoods, owners of the Vogels cereal brand, and INLINE Nutrition, based in Dunedin, already use the product in various forms.
“We have worked with the usual natural high-intensity sweeteners, but monk fruit juice concentrate has outperformed the alternatives in terms of taste while also offering a very consumer-friendly ingredient label,” Smartfoods innovation and product development manager King Chok said.
Several New Zealand investors are backing the venture, including Sir Stephen Tindall’s K1W1 innovation fund, ACC and the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund.
