# Rare sugars and enzymatic sweeteners Enzymatic epimerization turns commodity starch and fructose into allulose and tagatose — naturally occurring low-calorie sugars with sugar-like taste — while a separate fermentation route delivers stevia-derived sweeteners, moving allulose from 'unicorn ingredient' to commercial reality. Source: https://en.bioecon.ru/technology/rare-sugars-enzymatic-sweeteners/ Updated: 2026-08-18 ## Overview and value chain Markers: [EC: FDA allulose caloric/labeling exemption | OECD: Food systems | Regulator: FDA (USA), EFSA (EU)] Rare sugars and enzymatic sweeteners use engineered enzymes — epimerases in particular — to convert commodity fructose or starch into low-calorie monosaccharides such as allulose (D-psicose) and tagatose that occur naturally in small quantities but taste and behave like ordinary sugar. Ingredion holds a patent describing epimerase-based conversion of fructose to allulose, and organic allulose has reportedly "crossed the line from industry legend to commercial reality" as a clean-label, reduced-sugar formulation ingredient. Bonumose produces high-volume, naturally occurring monosaccharides from commodity starch and sugar feedstocks using innovative enzyme combinations, and partnered with protein-engineering firm Allozymes in 2025 to accelerate new enzyme development. A parallel, non-sugar sweetener route uses fermentation rather than enzymatic conversion: Tate & Lyle and Manus Bio launched Yume, a stevia-derived sweetener brand, as allulose and tagatose gain prominence alongside it in the broader better-tasting, healthier-sweetener market. Key directions of rare sugars and enzymatic sweeteners: 1. **Enzymatic epimerization of commodity sugars (Enzymatic Epimerization of Commodity Sugars):** epimerase enzymes convert abundant fructose into rare sugars like allulose without a full fermentation process. 2. **High-volume rare-monosaccharide production (High-Volume Rare- Monosaccharide Production):** enzyme-combination processes converting starch/sugar feedstocks into naturally occurring monosaccharides at commercial scale rather than trace extraction. 3. **Fermentation-derived non-sugar sweeteners (Fermentation-Derived Non-Sugar Sweeteners):** stevia-derived or other non-sugar sweetener molecules produced via precision fermentation as a complementary category to enzymatic rare sugars. 4. **Clean-label reduced-sugar reformulation (Clean-Label Reduced-Sugar Reformulation):** food brands reformulating existing sugar-sweetened products around allulose/tagatose to cut caloric sugar while keeping a clean ingredient label. ### Sectoral value chain ``` [feedstock sourcing] ──> [enzyme engineering] ──> [enzymatic conversion] ──> [purification] │ (regulatory labeling status) │ ▼ [food/beverage reformulation] <─── [ingredient sale] <───┘ ``` ### Value chain levels | Level | Description | Key inputs/outputs | |:---|:---|:---| | **Feedstock Sourcing** | procuring commodity starch or fructose as the conversion substrate | **In:** starch, fructose syrup. **Out:** feedstock supply. | | **Enzyme Engineering** | developing or licensing epimerase and related conversion enzymes | **In:** enzyme R&D/partnerships. **Out:** production enzyme. | | **Enzymatic Conversion** | converting feedstock into the target rare sugar | **In:** feedstock, enzyme. **Out:** crude rare-sugar syrup/crystal. | | **Purification** | refining the conversion output into a food-grade ingredient | **In:** crude output. **Out:** purified allulose/tagatose. | | **Ingredient Sale** | selling the purified rare sugar to food/beverage manufacturers | **In:** purified ingredient. **Out:** revenue. | | **Food/Beverage Reformulation** | brands substituting rare sugar for conventional sugar in products | **In:** rare-sugar ingredient. **Out:** reduced-sugar finished product. | Cross-cutting technologies of the sector: - **Epimerase enzyme engineering (Epimerase Enzyme Engineering):** protein-engineering partnerships developing improved epimerase variants for higher-yield sugar conversion. - **Enzyme-combination process design (Enzyme-Combination Process Design):** multi-enzyme cascades converting commodity feedstocks to rare sugars at industrial volume. - **Regulatory caloric/labeling classification (Regulatory Caloric/Labeling Classification):** securing a favorable calorie-count and labeling classification for a naturally occurring but rare sugar. --- ## US The US hosts an enzyme-engineering rare-sugar originator and the ingredient giant holding a core epimerization patent. ### enzyme-engineering partnerships, epimerase patents, commercial-reality allulose reformulation - **Bonumose:** produces high-volume, naturally occurring monosaccharides from commodity starch and sugar using innovative enzyme combinations, and partnered with Allozymes in 2025 to accelerate enzyme innovation. - **Ingredion:** holds a patent on epimerase-based fructose-to-allulose conversion, positioning it among the core enzymatic-conversion IP holders in the category. --- ## CN Public information on a dedicated Chinese rare-sugar/enzymatic-sweetener originator at the scale of the US/EU leaders was not confirmed in this pass; the section stays at the policy level. ### no confirmed flagship originator, regional distribution channels, adjacent ingredient trade activity - **No confirmed flagship originator:** neither of the two East Asian candidates investigated in this pass returned a source directly confirming a rare-sugar/enzymatic-sweetener production program. - **Regional distribution activity:** bulk allulose supply listings circulate through Chinese ingredient-trading platforms, reflecting active regional trade in the ingredient without a confirmed domestic originator. - **Adjacent academic research:** metabolic-engineering research on allulose production (e.g., via Corynebacterium glutamicum) is active in the wider literature, ahead of a confirmed commercial-scale originator in this specific pass. --- ## EU The UK-headquartered ingredient major anchors the region's rare-sugar and adjacent fermentation-sweetener activity. ### stevia-derived sweetener brand launch, allulose/tagatose market growth, clean-label reformulation demand - **Tate & Lyle:** launched Yume, a stevia-derived sweetener brand, in partnership with fermentation specialist Manus Bio, alongside broader market growth in allulose and tagatose as consumers seek healthier, better-tasting sweeteners. - **Market-growth signal:** industry data cited in trade coverage identifies allulose and tagatose as gaining prominence specifically because they combine health positioning with genuine sugar-like taste, unlike many earlier sugar substitutes. --- ## Leading companies and research institutes | Company / Institute | Country | Key products / platforms | Tech features | Status 2026 | |:---|:---|:---|:---|:---| | **Bonumose** | 🇺🇸 USA | *High-volume enzymatic rare sugars* | enzyme-combination conversion; Allozymes partnership (2025) | Commercial | | **Ingredion** | 🇺🇸 USA | *Epimerase-based allulose* | patented fructose-to-allulose conversion process | Commercial | | **Tate & Lyle** | 🇬🇧 UK | *Yume stevia-derived sweetener* | fermentation-derived non-sugar sweetener brand | Commercial | | **Manus Bio** | 🇺🇸 USA | *Fermentation sweetener platform* | precision-fermentation partner behind Yume | Commercial | --- ## Tech stack and innovations The stack converts abundant commodity sugars into rare, low-calorie equivalents at industrial volume. 1. **Epimerase-driven fructose conversion (Epimerase-Driven Fructose Conversion):** - epimerase enzymes rearrange fructose's molecular structure into allulose, a rare sugar occurring only in trace amounts in nature. - case: Ingredion's patented process describes exactly this epimerase-based fructose-to-allulose conversion route. 2. **Multi-enzyme combination cascades (Multi-Enzyme Combination Cascades):** - combinations of enzymes convert starch or sugar feedstocks into naturally occurring monosaccharides at high volume rather than trace extraction. - case: Bonumose's enzyme-combination process is the basis of its high-volume rare-monosaccharide production. 3. **Fermentation-based non-sugar sweetener production (Fermentation-Based Non-Sugar Sweetener Production):** - a host organism is engineered to produce a non-sugar sweetener molecule (e.g., a stevia glycoside) via fermentation rather than enzymatic sugar conversion. - case: Manus Bio's fermentation platform underlies the Yume stevia-derived sweetener brand launched with Tate & Lyle. --- ## Value chains and production pipelines ### Industrial pipeline of an enzymatically converted rare sugar (FDA labeling classification) ``` ┌───────────────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────────────┐ │ 1. Feedstock sourcing │ ───> │ 2. Enzyme engineering │ └───────────────────────────┘ └───────────────────────────┘ │ ▼ ┌───────────────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────────────┐ │ 4. Regulatory labeling review│ <─── │ 3. Enzymatic conversion & purification│ └───────────────────────────┘ └───────────────────────────┘ │ ▼ ┌───────────────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────────────┐ │ 5. Ingredient sale │ ───> │ 6. Product reformulation │ └───────────────────────────┘ └───────────────────────────┘ ``` #### Stage 1: Feedstock sourcing Commodity starch or fructose syrup is procured as the conversion substrate. #### Stage 2: Enzyme engineering Epimerase or other conversion enzymes are developed or licensed, sometimes through a dedicated protein-engineering partnership. #### Stage 3: Enzymatic conversion & purification The feedstock is converted into the target rare sugar and purified to a food-grade ingredient. #### Stage 4: Regulatory labeling review The rare sugar's caloric-count and labeling classification is confirmed with FDA or EFSA before ingredient sale. #### Stage 5: Ingredient sale The purified rare sugar or fermentation-derived sweetener is sold to food and beverage manufacturers. #### Stage 6: Product reformulation Brands reformulate existing sugar-sweetened products around the new ingredient, cutting caloric sugar while keeping a clean label.