NEW YORK – DouxMatok and Hi-Food have formed a partnership aimed at reducing sugar in food products through the combination of Incredo sugar from DouxMatok and Hi-Food’s Meltec ingredient.

Incredo sugar, which launched last year and is commercially available in the United States, enables up to 50% sugar reduction, according to DouxMatok, which is based in Israel. Meltec, a semi-solid ingredient similar to syrup, is based on vegetable fibers, according to Hi-Food, which is based in Italy. Besides adding fiber, Meltec improves structural properties in food products, is neutral in taste, and does not alter odors or colors.

“In partnership with Hi-Food, we’ll be able to deliver more than just a specialty ingredient for great tasting sugar reduction solutions to food brands,” said David Tsivion, chief technology officer for DouxMatok. “We can provide a full nutritional platform that delivers the scalability and functionality needed for food developers and food production, and the sweetness and mouthfeel that consumers have come to expect.”

The companies have developed product prototypes across a range of applications, including cakes, cookies, chocolate, candy, protein bars, energy bars and snacks. Products utilizing DouxMatok and Hi-Food’s full nutritional system are expected to launch in early 2022.

“We’re really impressed with the collaborative work of our team and our partners at DouxMatok, and we’re confident in the ability of these combined ingredients to provide a solution that the market is lacking,” said Emanuele Pizzigalli, R&D officer and co-founder at Hi-Food. “Sugar reduction is a key priority for food manufacturers across the globe, and we’re committed to helping them address this challenge through the use of our fibers with Incredo Sugar.”