dsm-firmenich VP on combining biotech and taste modulation for reduced sugar formulations

The demand for low-sugar products and the proliferation of sugar taxes have significantly impacted the sweetener landscape, as consumer health concerns grow and a desire for healthier alternatives drives purchase decisions. As F&B manufacturers innovate to match sugar’s functionality in formulations, dsm-firmenich is addressing these shifts by combining sweeteners, flavor modulators, and texture optimizers to “rebuild sugar’s full sensory curve.”

Reducing sugar increasingly drives global consumers’ quest for holistic health, with nearly 72% saying they cut back on sugar between April 2024 and March 2025, according to Innova Market Insights. Weight management, improved emotional health, better sleep, reduced stress, and increased energy are driving the sugar reduction trend.

Regulatory actions, such as the UK’s expansion of its sugar levy to milk and plant-based drinks last month, are reshaping formulation strategies and prompting brands to explore natural flavor and sweetener solutions to maintain sweetness and compliance.

In an interview with Food Ingredients First, Olivier Grégoire, VP global sugar reduction at dsm-firmenich, sheds light on the “threefold challenge” in replicating sugar’s taste and functionality, and the evolution of sweetener innovations for healthier formulations, as nearly three billion people struggle with being overweight or obese.

How has the sweetener landscape evolved in the past 5–10 years?

Grégoire: Over the past decade, the sweetener landscape has undergone a profound transformation, shaped by rising health concerns, regulatory intervention, and consumer demand for a balance between well-being and enjoyment. 

Nearly three billion people are now classified as overweight or obese, and governments in over 100 countries have adopted sugar-sweetened beverage taxes, with many more introducing front-of-pack labeling schemes to encourage reformulation. These pressures have accelerated the industry’s shift toward low- and no-sugar products that still meet expectations for taste, texture, and indulgence.

Consumers themselves have become far more nutritionally literate. People know that a high sugar diet puts them at greater risk of diabetes and obesity, but they often struggle to track daily intake and simultaneously don’t want to compromise on taste. This has pushed innovation beyond simple substitution into multi-dimensional taste design. 

The result is a surge in plant-derived sweeteners, such as stevia and monk fruit, whose use in global product launches has grown steadily over the past decade. Advances in biotechnology and precision fermentation are further improving taste quality, affordability, and sustainability, creating a new era of natural, label-friendly sweetness. While a perfect one-to-one sugar replacement remains elusive, today’s solutions — combining natural sweeteners with flavor modulation and masking technologies — are closing that gap faster than ever.

Consumers know a high sugar diet puts them at greater risk of diabetes and obesity, but often struggle to track daily intake, says Grégoire.

What are some of the most exciting innovations you’re seeing in the sweetener market?

Grégoire: The sweetener category is entering an innovation-rich phase where taste science and biotechnology intersect. Among the most exciting developments is the evolution of next-generation plant-based sweeteners, such as Rebaudioside (Reb) M and D, specific stevia leaf extracts that deliver a cleaner, sugar-like profile with minimal aftertaste. Through our Avansya joint venture with Cargill, we produce Eversweet, a high-purity Reb M sweetener made via precision fermentation. It offers the taste and performance of sugar while being significantly more sustainable and cost-efficient.

We also see major progress through integrated sweetening solutions like TastePrint, which combines sweeteners, flavor modulators, and texture optimizers to rebuild sugar’s full sensory curve. Complementary technologies such as TasteGem and ModulaSense further refine balance, masking off-notes and restoring mouthfeel and vibrancy to low-sugar products. Collectively, these innovations mark a step change, from ingredient substitution to fully engineered sweetness experiences that support better nutrition and sustainability without sacrifice.

What are the primary technical challenges in creating sweeteners that meet both health and taste requirements?

Grégoire: Replacing sugar means replacing far more than sweetness. It means replicating its physical and sensory architecture. Sugar provides structure, volume, browning, and mouthfeel — removing it can expose bitterness, flatten flavor, and alter the product's behavior during processing.

The key challenges are threefold. First, matching sugar’s temporal profile — its quick onset, clean peak, and short finish — remains difficult, as many alternative sweeteners have delayed or lingering sweetness. Second, high-intensity sweeteners can introduce unwanted metallic, licorice, or bitter notes that need targeted modulation. And third, recreating sugar’s functional roles in baking, confectionery, or dairy requires precise formulation to restore texture, moisture, and stability.

At dsm-firmenich, we tackle these complexities holistically. Our sweetening solutions are designed not just to sweeten but to rebuild the full sensory and functional matrix of sugar, ensuring products meet both health expectations and taste enjoyment.

Tell us about your latest sweetener innovations and their special properties and applications in F&B.

Grégoire: Our TastePrint integrated sweetening solutions represent our most advanced approach to sugar reduction to date. Rather than relying on a single sweetener, we engineer complete systems that combine plant-based and fermentation-derived ingredients with our proprietary modulation and texture technologies. This integrated design allows us to simultaneously optimize sweetness, mask off-notes, and enhance mouthfeel, delivering sugar-like satisfaction with less complexity for formulators.

The newest TastePrint M solutions incorporate precision-fermented sweeteners that achieve high purity and exceptional taste consistency while improving affordability and sustainability. Whether used in beverages, dairy, or confectionery, these systems empower brands to deliver low-sugar and no-sugar innovations that taste as indulgent as their full-sugar counterparts.

Sweetener innovations are helping manufacturers meet growing consumer demand for low-sugar options while navigating the impact of sugar taxes.

How are you evolving your sweetener solutions to meet the growing preference for natural, clean label products?

Grégoire: Clean label expectations are redefining sweetness. Consumers now want transparency, familiar ingredients, and plant-based origin, but still expect the sensory quality of sugar. Our innovation strategy reflects that. We prioritize nature-derived ingredients such as stevia and monk fruit, develop supporting solutions with biotechnological precision for consistent quality, and ensure regulatory readiness across regions.

We also work closely with customers to design label-friendly formulations that align with local legislation and ensure consumer trust. Through our global sensory and regulatory teams, we help brands navigate ingredient declaration, taste expectations, and sustainability commitments, making “better sweetness” both compliant and commercially viable. Ultimately, our goal is simple: to enable healthier eating experiences that don’t feel like a compromise.

The response from manufacturers adopting our integrated sweetening solutions has been overwhelmingly positive, with many reporting taste performance that exceeds expectations and drives repeat use across product lines.

What are some of the emerging techniques and technologies being used in the formulation of sweeteners?

Grégoire: Breakthroughs in taste science and biotechnology are transforming how sweetness is discovered and designed. Receptor-based discovery allows our scientists to study sweetness at the molecular level, screening thousands of compounds to identify those that optimally activate sweet taste receptors. This data-driven approach helps eliminate off-notes and improve efficiency in formulation.

Precision fermentation is another game-changer, enabling the sustainable production of rare sweeteners such as Reb M and D without agricultural constraints. It ensures high purity, reduces land and water use, and provides a consistent supply, which are key advantages as demand scales globally.

We’re also applying enzymatic modification to convert abundant stevia components into better-tasting forms, and using advanced formulation tools to fine-tune temporal sweetness perception. Together, these innovations are paving the way for reduced-sugar products that are virtually indistinguishable from their full-sugar originals — proof that science and sensory pleasure can coexist.