Ingredients giant Cargill has filed an application to patent a novel sweetener comprising specific stereoisomers of monatin, reports Foodnavigator. Monatin is a naturally occurring, high-intensity sweetener isolated from the plant Sclerochiton ilicifolius found only on the South African highveld. It is deemed suitable for use in tabletop sweeteners as well as food and drink products.
Unlike some other intense sweeteners, monatin has no bitter metallic, acidic or astringent aftertaste, claims Cargill. It is also more stable than aspartame, has a cleaner taste than saccharin, is sweeter than sucralose and does not have the ‘liquorice’ aftertaste sometimes associated with stevia-based sweeteners
