Nambawan Spain launches Thaûma™, a natural sweetener designed to transform sugar reduction in beverage products
Nambawan Spain, a green-tech food innovator pioneering the future of protein sweeteners through plant molecular farming, announced the commercial launch of Thaûma™, a plant-derived thaumatin II sweetener and flavour modifier …
Plant-derived protein sweetener delivers superior taste and cost efficiency; samples available at IFT FIRST 2026
Nambawan Spain, a green-tech food innovator pioneering the future of protein sweeteners through plant molecular farming, announced the commercial launch of Thaûma™, a plant-derived thaumatin II sweetener and flavour modifier designed to help food and beverage manufacturers overcome longstanding challenges associated with sugar reduction. The company will showcase Thaûma™ and offer product samples at IFT FIRST 2026.
As food and beverage manufacturers race to meet growing consumer demand for healthier, lower-sugar products, they continue to face difficult tradeoffs between taste, cost, ingredient availability, and formulation complexity. According to Grand View Research, the global sugar substitutes market is projected to grow from approximately $8 billion in 2024 to more than $15 billion by 2033, driven by increasing demand for healthier, lower-calorie alternatives to sugar. At the same time, GLP-1 adoption is accelerating demand for better-tasting, nutrient-conscious food and beverage products.
Thaûma™ is a non-caloric, non-glycemic, protein-based sweetener and flavour modifier suitable for functional beverages, nutrition products, dairy, confectionery, and other reduced-sugar applications. Supported by five FDA and FEMA GRAS approvals and JECFA safety certification, Thaûma™ provides manufacturers with the regulatory confidence needed to accelerate product development and commercialisation.
Recognised as the most potent natural sweetener known to science, Thaûma™ delivers sweetness intensity up to 13,600 times greater than sugar, at 5 SEV (Sucrose Equivalent Value). At extremely low use levels of just 1 – 5 parts per million – 75 to 230 times lower than stevia or monk fruit – Thaûma™ functions as a highly effective co-sweetener that enhances the performance of natural sweeteners while significantly reducing formulation costs.
In addition to sweetness, Thaûma™ acts as a powerful flavour modifier, helping mask bitter, astringent, licorice, fruity, and fermented off-notes while enhancing sweetness perception and improving overall taste and mouthfeel.
Unlike many natural sweeteners that face agricultural limitations and supply volatility, Thaûma™ is produced using sustainable plant molecular farming technology. This innovative production platform provides a transparent, reliable, and scalable supply chain capable of supporting growing global demand.
“For decades, formulators have been forced to compromise between taste, cost, supply reliability, and sustainability when developing products with natural sweeteners,” said Dr. Yuri Gleba, CEO of Nambawan Spain. “Thaûma™ combines exceptional sweetness intensity, flavour enhancement, regulatory acceptance, and scalable production in a single ingredient platform, helping brands create healthier products without the tradeoffs that have historically limited natural sweetener adoption.”
By combining sweetening and flavour-modifying functionality, Thaûma™ enables manufacturers to reduce sugar, improve taste, lower formulation costs, and accelerate innovation across multiple product categories.