What is next-generation sweet protein Sweeprot? Summary
- Finnish researchers developed Sweeprot as a zero-calorie sweet protein alternative
- Derived from brazzein, it is up to 1,500 times sweeter than sugar
- Precision fermentation makes Sweeprot scalable, sustainable and environmentally responsible
- Offers sugar-like taste without lingering bitterness or artificial aftertaste
- Expected to combine with other solutions for healthier food innovation
As pressure grows on European manufacturers to swap out sugar and synthetic sweeteners, Finnish researchers say their “next-generation sweet protein” could provide an alternative that’s “sweeter, more digestible and easier to produce at scale” than other options on the market.
Sweeprot, developed by a team of researchers based at Finland’s University of Oulu, is a zero-calorie sweetener derived from brazzein, a sweet protein first identified in the oubli fruit of West African plant Pentadiplandra brazzeana, which is said to be up to 1,500 times sweeter than sugar.
It’s one of several start-ups making use of the sweet protein in a quest to create commercially viable sugar alternatives.
Others include US ingredient supplier Sweegen, and UK firm Magellan Life Sciences, which uses an FDA-approved strain of the microorganism combined with fermentation to create a ‘nature identical’ variant of the protein.
But Sweeprot goes one step further, explains one of the researchers behind Sweeprot, Petri Leukkunen. “Sweeprot represents the next generation of brazzein sweeteners,” he says. “Rather than designing something entirely synthetic, we’ve taken a natural sweet protein and applied targeted improvements to make it sweeter, more digestible, and easier to produce at scale.
“This balance - natural origin with smart, precise enhancement - makes Sweeprot unique. It’s close to nature where it matters but optimised for modern food systems and commercial scalability.”
‘Clean sweetness, without calories’
The team achieves this uniqueness by using a precision fermentation process that converts the sweet protein into a “clean, sugar-like sweetness without calories,” explains Leukkunen, using “targeted molecular design to enhance key performance traits.”
“While brazzein already offered excellent sweetness potential, our work identified ways to improve its sweetness intensity and digestibility, and to make it more suitable for commercial-scale production,” he says.
The end-product has clear advantages over traditional sweeteners like stevia, Leukkunen insists. “Sweeprot offers sugar-like sweetness without calories and avoids the bad lingering taste or artificial aftertastes associated with many older sweeteners.
“It’s [also] produced via precision fermentation, an environmentally responsible process that ensures resiliency, consistency and quality. Compared with traditional sugar cultivation or extraction, this approach uses far fewer natural resources, making it a win for both taste and sustainability.”
But crucially, he anticipates the novel ingredient will only be one part of the solution for manufacturers looking to reduce sugar content.
There is, after all, now a raft of European start-ups looking to develop next-gen sugar alternatives. Developers are using ingredients as wide-ranging as South American tuber yacon and coconut milk powders, as well as experimenting with encapsulation and enzyme-based technologies, all in a bid to reformulate sugar and reimagine traditional sweeteners. “We expect Sweeprot to be combined with other solutions in several applications,” says Leukkunen.
‘Essential to making real progress’
Currently, the team is working with water-suspended samples of its sweet protein, as well as powder form for broader use, and hopes to finalise its production systems during 2026, before kicking off safety studies and regulatory steps.
“Initial application testing has been encouraging - results so far align with known brazzein performance, showing promising sweetness and taste characteristics,” says Leukkunen. “Broader validation with external food and beverage partners will begin next year. We’re also holding discussions with potential customers and partners to understand their needs, innovation strategies, and product development goals.”
He’s confident that demand for the next-gen sweet protein will be high.
Already, interest from food and ingredient companies exploring sugar and sweetener alternatives is “strong.” And support provided by both Business Finland and the EIT Food Seedbed programme has helped to provide access to “valuable networks and expertise” as the team moves closer toward commercialisation.
“Reducing sugar consumption remains a major health challenge, and innovations like Sweeprot are essential to making real progress,” adds Leukkunen. “By giving manufacturers a way to achieve sugar-like taste without calories, we can help enable healthier, more enjoyable products for consumers.
“We see this as an enabler for genuine product innovation - not just sugar reduction in existing recipes, but entirely new concepts that bring health, sustainability, and taste together. This is also where we want to challenge the industry to do more. Our goal is to make it easier.
“Sugar will always have its place, but protein-based sweeteners like Sweeprot can play a crucial role in shifting the balance toward healthier, more sustainable choices - for both consumers and the planet.”
