The typical natural sweetening system consists of stevia + monk fruit. The combination tastes great, but…

• It’s expensive
• The supply is tight
• Sustainability is questionable

Now there’s a better alternative that will make the stevia-monk fruit combination obsolete. Monk fruit’s cost-in-use is one the highest of any sweetener in the world. The cost per kilo is in the $300+ range while only 50-100x sweeter than sugar. Using 600mg per serving isn’t unusual, so a $0.20 per serving sweetening system, or $6 per 30-serving unit, isn’t out of the question. You’d better love monk fruit to stick with $6 per unit. Because stevia has had recent questions about a potentially negative impact on the gut microbiota [1], some of doubled down on monk fruit. As noted above, that tactic is incredibly expensive. A better stevia-monk combination could be Reb M from stevia, plus monk fruit. It will taste great, but you still have cost issues because Reb M from stevia is expensive. On top of that, Reb M exists in extremely low concentrations in the stevia plant. So, you have to mow down a football field of stevia leaves to get a kilo of Reb M. That doesn’t exactly bode well for consumers’ ever-growing demand for sustainability. So what is a better natural sweetener than stevia and/or monk fruit? ANSWER: fermented Reb M from the sugarcane plant (as OnoSweet™). OnoSweet is…

• 250x sweeter than sugar
• <35% of the cost-in-use of monk fruit
• More sustainable than stevia or monk fruit
• Cleanest and best-tasting natural sweetener in the world
• Zero glycemic index
• Non-GMO
• Fermented

The words “steviol glycosides” sound like “stevia,” so it’s easy to understand why many don’t realize Reb M is also contained in sugarcane. Reb M exists in the sugarcane plant, and it is fermented in a patented process that is now OnoSweet™. OnoSweet™ is 250x sweeter than sugar with wide application from gummies and powders to RTDs and functional foods. The taste is clean throughout, and the sweetness never peaks.  Reb M OnoSweet™ is the best-tasting natural sweetener in the world. OnoSweet™ is fermented, and fermentation is a mega-trend in the health and wellness space [2]. Sugarcane can grow continuously throughout the year and yield multiple harvests. It is re-planted only every two to four years. So, there is lesser need for crop rotation, and there is no need for fertilizers. Without chemicals, pesticides or soil degradation, OnoSweet™ is far more sustainable than stevia. In fact, to produce 1 kilo of OnoSweet, you only need 10% of the water and land that would be required to produce 1 kilo of stevia. TAKEAWAYS and NOTES:

• Fermented and patented Reb M OnoSweet™ is a superior alternative to the stevia-monk fruit combination.
• Because OnoSweet’s™ cost of production is lower than stevia or monk fruit, the stevia-monk fruit combination will become obsolete.
• If formulators prefer, OnoSweet™ can still be combined with a touch of monk fruit, erythritol, or even some allulose for an optimized sweetening system.
• Applications include: gummies, powders, RTDs, gels, and functional foods.

  References: [1] BGU Researchers and Colleagues Caution Stevia May Inhibit Gut Microbiome Communication [2] Askew, Katy, There is a mega-trend around fermentation: The rising star of fermented foods, Foodnavigator