This Startup Uses Yeast Fermentation to Cut Sugar in Fruit Juice by 30%

Austria Juice has rolled out a new line of fruit juices with 30% less sugar, produced via yeast fermentation, in line with the EU’s Breakfast Directives.

With sugar reduction a top priority for brands and consumers alike, one startup has turned to yeast as a solution.

Austria Juice is leveraging controlled fermentation to lower the sugar content in fruit juices by 30%, enabling beverage producers to label the product as ‘reduced-sugar fruit juice from concentrate’, which will become an official category under the EU’s Breakfast Directives next month.

“We at Austria Juice identified a gap between the desire for 100% fruit juice and the need to reduce sugar consumption,” said Kai Oliver Antonius, the company’s VP.

“Mindful consumers want the nutritional benefits of pure juice, but without the sugar load. They also prefer not to compromise on taste or to sip artificial sweeteners. Meanwhile, we enable our clients to keep their labels clean,” he added.

Tapping into consumers’ waning appetite for sugar

Austria Juice’s patent-pending controlled fermentation uses yeast to convert sugar from fruit juice, before gently processing it. The processing aids are then removed, and the reduced-sugar liquid is blended with untreated fruit juice concentrate to achieve the targeted sugar content.

The method prevents off-flavours, secondary notes and undesirable alcoholic or fermented aromas. The resulting product has comparable mineral, trace element and polyphenol content, and at least 30% fewer calories.

Its ready-to-use range currently includes apple, orange, and multi-fruit juice concentrates. “Our first reduced-sugar product combines two key Austria Juice strengths: the technology is based on Austria Juice’s know-how in wine fermentation and our strong position in juice concentrates worldwide,” said Antonius.

“We also draw on our leadership in FTNF (from the named fruit) solutions, spanning technology, application development and production. This integrated expertise gives us an advantage in designing sugar reduction tech powered by fermentation, as well as our ability to maintain fresh fruity flavour in the juice.”

Global research shows that 64% of consumers are actively cutting back on sugar, citing health reasons. Another 42% are doing so to lose weight. In the EU, 51% of people aged 16 and above are overweight, and 17% suffer from obesity.

According to Mintel, 63% of Spaniards are taking steps to limit their sugar intake, as are 55% of Germans. On the other hand, 72% of Italians believe that sticking to the government’s recommended maximum sugar intake is important for a healthy lifestyle.

Sugar reduction helps companies comply with EU regulations

“Our reduced-sugar products are market-ready – just add your brand and sell, or dilute for ready-to-drink goodness,” said Severin Guski, Austria Juice’s business development manager. “We are set to serve key players seeking plug-and-play solutions to reduce sugars in beverages made from 100% fruit juice.”

The launch fits into the revised EU Breakfast Directives, which have introduced low-sugar fruit juice as a new category, stating that products can only be labelled this way if they have a minimum sugar reduction of 30%.

“Given these EU market disruptions, we help CPG brands transform regulatory change into product opportunity,” noted Cornelia Kerschbaumer, Austria Juice’s marketing and communications director.

“These better-for-you reduced-sugar options are 100% natural fruit juice – for breakfast or on-the-go products. Our solutions help parents; instead of arguing with their kids about drink choices, parents can now give them what they want, just with 30% less sugar.”

The company has scaled up production to meet consumer demand for reduced-sugar juices in Europe, and says it’s helping juice manufacturers comply with EU regulations.

“With EU Breakfast Directives right around the corner, Austria Juice helps producers fast-track reduced-sugar solutions that deliver everything consumers love about fruit juice,” said Kerschbaumer.

Several other startups are working on sugar reduction tech, including Better Juice (which was acquired by Prodalim earlier this month), BlueTree Technologies, IncreBio, and Neoh.