On November 28, as part of the Congress of Young Scientists, a press conference was organized to brief the results of the world's first clinical trial of an innovative food ingredient - sweet protein brazzein.
Due to its unique properties, sweet protein is a food ingredient that can substitute for sugar. It does not trigger an insulin response, is thousands of times sweeter than sugar, and has a flavor profile similar to classic sugar.
The EAEU countries already certified the sweet protein created by the Russian company EFKO, confirming its suitability for use in food products. However, the developers also needed to ensure the substance was safe for long-term human consumption.
Alexei Fomenko and Philipp Sokolov, researchers at the Russian University of Medicine who were directly involved in the study, presented the nine-month project within the context of the Congress of Young Scientists.
"60 people (28 men and 32 women) were involved in clinical and laboratory tests, collection of integral health indicators and psychological questionnaire," Philipp Sokolov shared. "Processing of the results showed no adverse changes in the participants' integral health indicators before and after consumption of sweet protein. Meanwhile, the psychological condition has improved."
The findings demonstrate that sweet protein offers health benefits and is safe to include in diets. This discovery may alter the traditional perspective on future nutrition and novel foods.
"The lack of impact on carbohydrate metabolism and glucose levels is critical when making nutritional recommendations to patients with high BMI, insulin resistance, obesity, prediabetes, and diabetes mellitus," Mr. Sokolov continues. "Furthermore, the absence of allergic reactions, a sign of low allergic vigilance, was proved by the use of the sweet protein brazzein in product composition. Additionally, the volunteers' psycho-emotional reactions to product consumption were not adverse".
"Understanding the seriousness of the global challenge of excessive sugar consumption, EFKO has worked closely with Russian experts to create a novel food ingredient that paves the way for the creation of future food," Rostislav Kovalevsky, EFKO Innovation Director, says. "Although the safety of sweet proteins has already been tested on animals, new clinical research indicates that it is feasible and appropriate to integrate sweet proteins into mass production. I am sure that sweet proteins will soon become common in the healthy diet of our citizens, and the food of the future will become part of everyday routine."