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SWEETZEN® Product Line
SWEETZEN® is NURA’s next‑generation natural sweetener system combining high‑purity stevia or monk fruit with Brazzein, a nature‑identical sweet protein ~2500-10000× sweeter than sugar. Brazzein enhances sweetness quality, reduces bitterness, and improves overall flavor performance while lowering cost-in-use.
195x Sweetness
SWEETZEN®
Monk Fruit & Brazzein Blend
- SWEETZEN® Monk Fruit & Brazzein Blend
The Challenge
Bitterness in High Intensity Sweeteners
High-intensity sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit deliver strong sweetness and label appeal, but can present challenges in both sensory performance and cost. Stevia may contribute bitterness or lingering aftertaste, while monk fruit often requires higher usage levels and carries a significant cost premium, limiting formulation flexibility and increasing cost-in-use.
The Opportunity
Why Blend with Brazzein?
When paired with stevia or monk fruit, SWEETZEN®‘s brazzein blends help improve overall sweetness quality while reducing formulation trade-offs. Brazzein smooths the sweetness curve, minimizes bitterness and lingering notes, and enhances flavor perception, enabling lower usage of high-cost sweeteners and delivering a more sugar-like taste with improved cost efficiency and scalable performance.
Why Choose SWEETZEN®?
Clean Label
Vegan, GMO‑Free,
Allergen-Free
Improved Temporal Profile
vs. sucralose or high‑intensity sweeteners alone
Heat/pH Stable
Stable in processing
SWEETZEN®
Monkfruit & Brazzein Blend
195x Sweetness
SWEETZEN® Monk Fruit & Brazzein enables brands to meet growing consumer demand for sugar-free products.
- Lower usage: Use 30-40% the level of Monk Fruit Extract
- Cost Optimized: ~36% Reduction compared to Monk Fruit Extract alone
- Recommended Applications: Carbonated beverages & energy drinks, juices, wellness shots, confections, bars, and bakery
- SWEETZEN® Monk Fruit & Brazzein Blend
SWEETZEN®
Stevia & Brazzein Blend
320x Sweetness
- Usage Reduction: Use 40-50% the level of Stevia Reb M
- Cost Optimized: ~20% Reduction compared to Stevia Reb M alone
- Recommended Applications: Low pH functional beverages, flavored waters, dairy, gummies, RTM
- SWEETZEN® Stevia & Brazzein Blend
Sweetness Curve Profiles
SWEETZEN® Monkfruit & Brazzein Blend
- Improved Temporal Profile: Faster onset while maintaining monk fruit’s smooth sweetness
- Reduced Lingering & Off‑Notes: Brazzein rounds the curve for cleaner taste
SWEETZEN® Stevia & Brazzein Blend
- Faster Sweetness Buildup: Enables precise sweetness control
- Improved Sweetness Quality: Brazzein and Stevia work synergistically to mask bitterness and reduce lingering
Featured Prototype
Harvest Apple Marine Tripeptide Gummies
- Features SWEETZEN® Stevia & Brazzein Blend
- Features Marine Collagen Tripeptide
- Features PHGG Dietary Fiber
- Supports Muscle Recovery & Healthy Aging
- Contains 1 g of Complete Protein
- Sugar-Free
Featured Ingredients
Allulose, Digestion-resistant maltodextrin (soluble corn fiber), Water, Marine Collagen Tripeptide, Gelatin (bovine), Erythritol, Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum (dietary fiber), Natural Flavor, Natural Color,
SWEETZEN® Stevia & Brazzein Blend.
Allergen: Fish
Featured Prototype
Mango Melon Protein RTM
- Features SWEETZEN® Monkfruit & Brazzein Blend
- Features CLEARTEIN® Whey Peptides (Neutral)
- Contains 15g of Complete Protein
- Naturally Colored with Beta Carotene
- Clean Label
Featured Ingredients
CLEARTEIN® Whey Peptides, Allulose, Lemon Juice Powder, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, SWEETZEN® Monkfruit & Brazzein Blend , MCT Oil Powder (70% MCT Oil, 30% Gum Arabic), Sodium Citrate, Beta Carotene (Color).
Allergen: Contains Dairy
Featured Prototype
Elderberry Cherry Protein RTM
- Features SWEETZEN® Monkfruit & Brazzein Blend
- Features CLEARTEIN® Pea Peptides (Acidified)
- Contains 15g of Complete Protein
- Naturally Colored with Beetroot Powder and Butterfly Pea Extract
Featured Ingredients
CLEARTEIN® Pea Peptides, Allulose, Lemon Juice Powder, Natural Flavors, Malic Acid, Citric Acid, SWEETZEN® Monkfruit & Brazzein Blend, Beetroot Powder (Color), Butterfly Pea Extract (Color), MCT Oil Powder (70% MCT Oil, 30% Gum Arabic), Sodium Citrate.
Allergen: None
What is SWEETZEN®?
SWEETZEN® is a next-generation sweetener system that combines stevia or monk fruit with brazzein, a high-intensity sweet protein. It is designed to deliver a cleaner, more balanced sweetness profile while improving formulation efficiency and reducing overall sweetener usage.
Why a blend instead of using individual sweeteners?
SWEETZEN® is a pre-optimized system where each component plays a specific role. Stevia or monk fruit provides sweetness intensity and structure, while brazzein enhances the sweetness curve by reducing bitterness, improving onset speed, and smoothing the finish. The result is a more sugar-like experience that is difficult to achieve with any single ingredient alone.
What applications is SWEETZEN® best suited for?
SWEETZEN® performs well across a wide range of applications, including beverages, carbonated drinks, flavored waters, RTM powders, gummies, bars, dairy, and other low- or mid-Brix systems.
Where do the cost savings come from?
Cost savings come from lower usage levels. Because brazzein is highly potent, SWEETZEN® allows you to use less total sweetener to reach the same sweetness target, resulting in meaningful cost savings on a per-serving basis.
What is brazzein, and is it natural?
Brazzein is a sweet protein that occurs naturally in the oubli fruit. The brazzein in SWEETZEN® is produced through precision fermentation, in which microorganisms are engineered to produce the exact same protein found in the fruit. The result is a nature-identical ingredient that is structurally and functionally equivalent to what nature produces, with no synthetic chemicals or artificial inputs.
Why not use brazzein on its own?
Brazzein is extremely potent and used at very low levels, making it difficult to dose accurately on its own. It also has a delayed sweetness onset. SWEETZEN® pairs brazzein with stevia or monk fruit to provide immediate sweetness and structure, creating a more balanced and reliable system.
What is the regulatory status of brazzein, and is SWEETZEN® safe to use?
Yes. The brazzein used in SWEETZEN® has received an FDA “no questions” response for its GRAS conclusion under its intended conditions of use as a general-purpose sweetener. SWEETZEN® is also supported by IGEN Tested Non-GMO, Kosher, and Halal documentation, making it suitable for a wide range of product categories and markets.
