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Ingredients manufacturer Nexture has teamed up with botanical specialist MartinBauer to develop Sweetec, a new system designed to enable sugar reduction in beverages without compromising taste, body or mouthfeel.

According to Innova insights, 76% of consumers are currently monitoring their sugar consumption, with 64% actively seeking to reduce it. Meanwhile, more than 100 countries have introduced taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages.

The alcohol market is also seeing demand for lower-sugar and lower-ABV varieties, with rising moderation trends reshaping drinking habits. Additionally, new requirements such as the mandatory declaration of calories on wine and alcoholic beverage labels, under EU Regulation 2021/2117, are putting further emphasis on transparency and healthier choices.

The two companies highlighted how this is fuelling demand for solutions that enable manufacturers to deliver the full, satisfying drinking experience consumers expect while reducing ingredients like alcohol and sugar, which traditionally contribute to sweetness, body and sensory complexity.

Sweetec combines Meltec – a patented vegetable fibre system developed from legumes and cereals, by Nexture’s HiFood business – with MartinBauer’s Sweetcode, a portfolio of botanical sweetness and flavour balance solutions.

Meltec is designed to add fibre, reduce sugar and replicate the body, texture and mouthfeel offered by sugar and syrups, while Sweetcode aims to provide natural sweetness and a balanced, satisfying sensory experience in reduced-sugar formulations.

Together, the technologies create a viscous system claimed to be capable of replacing up to 50% of sugar while preserving the expected sensory experience for consumers.

Key application areas for the versatile solution include spirits and aperitifs, vermouth, bitters, sparkling and wine-based drinks, cider, sake, whisky, seltzers and more.

Emanuele Pizzigalli, chief innovation officer at Nexture, said: “Sweetec is a clear example of what can be achieved when companies work together in an open innovation model”.

“At Nexture, we firmly believe that combining internal capabilities with external know-how is a game changer for transformative action, and this collaboration shows it in practice: by blending our expertise with MartinBauer's unique know-how in botanicals, we create a unique solution able to deliver great drinking experiences for consumers while also contributing to enhancing their wellbeing.”