Optibiotix boosted by taste tests of product that could be alternative to sugar

OPTIBIOTIX HEALTH, a Yorkshire life sciences business that tackles obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and skin ailments, has reported positive taste test studies on one of its products.

Results of human studies on its naturally sweet product SweetBiotix, which is non digestible and calorie free, showed that SweetBiotix fibres have up to 223 times the sweetness of sucrose whilst being less bitter than rivals.

Analysts said York-based Optibiotix can offer a healthy replacement for highly calorific sucrose.

Alex Pye at FinnCap said: “These results demonstrate proof of concept for SweetBiotix as sweet fibres that are low calorie, non digestible and healthy.

“The study also further demonstrates SweetBiotix’s potential to offer a natural healthy alternative to sugar and a potential replacement for the highly calorific sucrose currently used in food and beverages.”

The study was carried out by The Flavour and Sensory Science Centre at the University of Reading, which tested six customised oligosaccharides developed from high intensity sweeteners which were compared with sucrose.

The study used a trained expert panel of ten experienced panellists.

Stephen O’Hara, CEO of OptiBiotix, said: “We are really pleased with the results of this study which opens up opportunities for the development of a range of natural sweet prebiotic fibres which can be used to replace sugar in food and beverages.

“With growing public and political concerns over traditional sugars and artificial sweeteners, OptiBiotix is leading research in an area of growing industry interest.”

The global sweetener market, currently dominated by sugar, is forecast to reach $112bn by 2022.