Redefining Fun, Fun, and Improving Health
Eating too much sugar in our diet is an epidemic that has no season or is lurking in refrigerators or airplane tray tables. Healthy Food America notes that the United States leads the world in added sugar consumption and ranks third in the world in sales of sugar-sweetened beverages. All this sugar has consequences – the US has the highest obesity rate in the world and the highest rate of childhood obesity, not to mention heart disease and diabetes.
Several attempts to replace sugar with artificial sugars such as Aspartame and Saccharin have worked well, asking consumers to give up the taste in sugar-free foods. Natural options like agave, monk fruit, and Stevia make this list focus on the transition rather than the complex way of handling the sugar molecule. Enter Incredo (formerly DouxMatok), an Israeli company with an idea that maximizes the properties of sugar but limits its impact on the body.
As it was born out of necessity during World War II, this story is part of the history led by Prof. Avraham Baniel, a well-known chemist in Israel. An excellent retelling of the journey from concept to realization can be found in the episode of the Netflix series “Explained” (Season Three, Episode 1). In short, Professor Beniel discovered that by adding starch to sugar crystals, consumers can use less sugar with the same taste. Fast forward to 2001 and then 2013 and 2014, and Baniel returned his previous discovery with significant improvements. Using a small “carrier” with an active ingredient (sugar) as part of the refining process results in a sugar cluster rather than a new molecule. These clusters will then settle on the tongue, enhancing the flavor delivery.
The Israeli food technology startup recently announced the closing of its latest (and most important) fundraising round to date, along with the unveiling of a new company name, Incredo LTD, based on the company’s signature product Incredo® Sugar. In an interview with The Spoon, company CEO Ari Melamud discussed how Incredo is poised to create a healthy sugar experience.
Using chocolate with 13 grams of sugar as an example, Melamud said Incredo can reduce sugar levels by 30 to 50%, which can be good news for those with diabetes and other related conditions.
“It changes from one program to another and from one recipe to another because every recipe is very different depending on the other ingredients inside,” said Melamud. “So, on average, we can say that we can reduce by 40%. And again, our technology is not a solution to diabetes. But we are a mass market solution to help everyone avoid diabetes in many ways. Because if you look at the numbers and statistics on a global scale, we use three or four times more sugar than recommended. If we can reduce it by 50%, 0% for most people, to prevent a big difference from 5% to 5% for most people. Diabetes is actually our goal main and our main activities.
Even in its early days, DouxMatok has established important commercial relationships with Better Nutritionals, a supplement manufacturer; Batory Foods, a specialty ingredient company; and Blommer Chocolate Company, North America’s largest cocoa processor and ingredient chocolate supplier.
If the company’s Incredo Sugar has one Achilles heel, it will not work with liquids (preventing use in drinks) because it dissolves quickly, surpassing the continuous taste experience of the product. After hearing DouxMatok’s story, fluid issues are small obstacles that can be quickly overcome.
