A tsp of sugar (fiber)
The need for products that are healthier for the environment and for people’s health is growing for the food business. Manufacturers, however, have a difficult time satisfying customers who want to indulge in their favorite sweets but also care about the environment and their health.
It’s also no secret that the production of sugarcane has an adverse effect on the environment that extends beyond atmospheric carbon.2. In delicate riparian ecosystems, wastewater runoff from fields and production facilities adds to eutrophication. The monoculture of sugarcane poses a threat to biodiversity due to the inputs of fertilizer and pesticides, as well as the necessity of deforestation to produce more arable land. Sugarcane is a very inefficient plant since sucrose makes up only 20% of its biomass.
Meanwhile, more people are becoming aware of the connection between excessive sugar consumption and heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.3. Additionally, it has been tangentially connected to a higher risk of cancer.4
Dietary adjustments, however, can be challenging to carry out, and consumers may find it difficult to make decisions due to the trade-offs between sustainable and healthful items.
All of these elements present a strong opportunity for businesses that make healthier and more environmentally friendly versions of the foods that consumers currently like. Given the widespread appetite for sugar, it makes sense that customers’ choice for goods that are healthier and better for the environment may result in significant carbon savings if a sustainable alternative to sugar manufactured from sugarcane were easily accessible.
Three problems are resolved by one sustainable product at once.
Sugars from Fiber has the potential to simultaneously address three global issues. One of the best chefs in the world has confirmed that this new ingredient is feasible and healthier for humans.
The natural plant fiber that is now present in agricultural side streams, such as the stems, stalks, cobs, and hulls of crops including corn, oats, rice, and wheat, is used to make Sugars from Fiber. It doesn’t produce extra carbon emissions from its feedstock since it uses components that are already available. In actuality, it produces more food per hectare, which is significant considering that, according to UN estimates, a growing world population will require up to 60% more food by 2050.5.Lastly, even though it functions similarly to cane sugar in food goods,
Increased food production with each harvest
Since the amount of arable land is already almost at its maximum, several businesses are creating innovative methods, such as vertical farming, to increase food production. However, increasing the amount of plant fiber already present in agricultural side streams can help create more food without requiring the production of new crops. Because so much plant fibre is currently being generated, there is a great untapped potential for producing food from fibrous agricultural side streams.According to research conducted in Europe, an acre that yields more than 175 bushels of grain per acre has the potential to create up to two tonnes of usable biomass annually.
Six Up to 50% of the total plant material is wasted as residues in corn crops alone. The stover, stems, stalks, and bagasse are indigestible to humans when uncooked. As with sugarcane, this stuff may be burned off during harvest. A tiny quantity of stem and root fiber may be plowed under during the cultivation of wheat and other grains, and some may find use as animal bedding or in other similar applications. Once hailed as an innovative use for these leftovers, plant fiber-derived ethanol has not gained traction.
The Supplant Company, which has been nominated for the prestigious Earthshot Prize in the 2022 category of “Build a Waste-Free World” for its work on Sugars from Fiber, has made waste reduction in the food business one of its top priorities. By using the plant fiber that is already there to create Sugars from Fiber and then pulverizing it into a powder and using a unique enzymatic process to further break down the complex carbs in the fiber into a form that people can digest, it reduces waste. This final product is prebiotic, meaning it is beneficial for gut health, and has less than half the calories of sugar from sugarcane. It also has a lower glycemic reaction than glucose.Additionally, research contrasting the ethanol produced from sugarcane residues with that from other cellulosic crop residues demonstrates that non-sugarcane feedstocks, such as those utilized in Sugars from Fiber, result in a lower total carbon footprint for the product.
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The Supplant Company collaborated with chef Thomas Keller, who has seven Michelin stars for his dedication to food quality, to introduce Sugars from Fiber to the market. Keller began by using his well-known chocolate recipe, but instead of using cane sugar, he used sugars from fiber to create vegan milk and dark chocolate bars.
The Supplant Company’s objective to guarantee that people may have access to the food they love while maintaining excellent health and promoting a healthy earth struck a chord with Keller’s appreciation of delicious food.
In addition to its original milk and dark chocolate bars, The Supplant Company now offers three additional chocolate bar flavors: milk coffee, dark orange, and milk sea salt. Its product line is also expanding to include shortbread and a variety of commercial inclusions, such as bittersweet chocolate disks and chunks, curls, sprinkles, and even spiced cookie butter.
There are undoubtedly three advantages to sugars from fiber. Utilizing agricultural byproducts helps the food business cut waste. The discovery of a source of sugars formerly inaccessible to humans contributes to the issue of food security for the world’s expanding population. Additionally, sugar from fiber can benefit the health of people worldwide since it is prebiotic, has less calories, and has a reduced glycemic reaction.