As global beverage consumers increasingly demand healthier options with lower sugar and fewer calories, food and beverage manufacturers face a longstanding dilemma: how to reduce sugar content without sacrificing the sensory profile, body, and full-bodied mouthfeel that consumers expect from their favourite drinks.

When sugar is removed from a beverage, it is not merely sweetness that disappears. Sugar plays a structural role in liquid formulations, contributing viscosity, weight, texture, and complex flavour delivery. Simply replacing sugar with traditional high-intensity or zero-calorie artificial sweeteners often leaves drinks feeling thin, watery, and sensorially flat.

To solve this challenge, botanical extracts giant MartinBauer and HIFOOD (a Nexture company) have joined forces to introduce Sweetec — a fibre-based botanical solution designed to replace up to 50% of sugar while fully retaining body, mouthfeel, and taste appeal.

The consumer shift driving sugar reduction

The market demand for sugar reduction is in the mainstream:

• Awareness & intent: research from Innova Market Insights highlights that 76% of consumers pay close attention to sugar consumption, and 64% actively attempt to reduce their intake.
• Moderation & mindful drinking: beyond traditional soft drinks, moderation trends are reshaping spirits and low/no-alcohol product categories, where consumers seek balanced nutritional profiles without forfeiting premium taste and indulgence.

How fibre technology preserves mouthfeel and structure

The core challenge in sugar reduction is replicating sugar’s functional properties — specifically its contribution to viscosity and mouthfeel.

By integrating advanced fibre technology from Nexture/HIFOOD with MartinBauer’s botanical extraction capabilities, Sweetec addresses this exact hurdle:

• Structural replacement: advanced plant-derived fibres build a viscous ingredient matrix that replaces the physical bulk and mouthfeel typically lost when sugar is removed.
• Harmonised sweetness: naturally sweet botanical extracts round out the flavour profile, providing a clean, balanced taste without the lingering synthetic or bitter aftertastes often associated with traditional sugar substitutes.
• Up to 50% sugar reduction: the combined fibre and-botanical system enables beverage formulators to cut sugar content by up to half while preserving the authentic mouthfeel, weight, and sensory complexity expected by consumers.

Applications across spirits, low/no-alcohol, and beyond

While sugar reduction was historically focused on carbonated soft drinks and juices, Sweetec provides a highly versatile solution across diverse alcoholic, low-alcohol, and non-alcoholic formulations:

• Spirits & aperitifs: maintains the depth, complexity, and body essential for premium spirits, liqueurs, bitters, and vermouths.
• Low & no-alcohol beverages: replicates the viscosity and warmth traditionally provided by alcohol and sugar, giving zero-proof cocktails, seltzers, and wine-based drinks an authentic profile.
• Broader beverage portfolio: suitable for cider, sake, whisky blends, sparkling drinks, and flavoured RTD beverages.

Key benefits for beverage manufacturers

• Clean-label & plant-based: uses plant-derived fibre and natural botanical extracts, aligning with modern clean-label demands.
• No sensory compromise: delivers the expected viscosity, body, and mouthfeel alongside balanced sweetness.
• Versatile formulation system: integrates across various beverage bases and consumption occasions.

By pairing advanced fibre innovation with time-tested botanical extraction, Nexture and MartinBauer demonstrate how cross-industry technical collaboration can bridge the gap between consumer wellness trends and premium sensory experiences.