ST. LOUIS, MO. - A global yeast and baking ingredients supplier has joined forces with an innovative leader in biotechnology, sustainability, and natural ingredients to offer a next-level solution in zero-calorie sweeteners for baking.

AB Mauri North America, St. Louis, Mo., and Amyris Inc., Ameryville, Calif., this week announced an exclusive multi-year agreement for the sale and purchase of Amyris' Purecane™ RebM zero-calorie sweetener for baking applications.

Purecane™ is made through a fermentation process that starts with sugarcane and converts it to a pure, no-calorie sweetener without artificial chemicals or bitter aftertaste -- unlike other alternative sweeteners. This process requires one-tenth of the agricultural acreage than other leading natural leaf products and results in very low waste.

“Their technology is really exciting. I really think biotechnology has a big role to play in the future of the baking industry,” said Mark Prendergast, president of AB Mauri North America, adding that the sweetener is now available. “This gives our customers what they want in a cost-effective manner. This is one of these launches that checks a lot of consumer boxes. We’re ready to go.”

Customers can reduce sugar by as much as 50% without compromise, he added. Purecane is an ingredient solution that serves as part of a complex answer reaching the intersection of consumer demand for reduced sugar with those wanting to buy a more sustainably sourced product. Both goals are achieved. And it has a very high level of purity with no aftertaste.

This partnership is expected to transform the industrial baking sector in the United States, Mexico, and Canada by enabling AB Mauri's customers to produce reduced sugar baked goods with no loss of flavor, texture or product appeal.

"AB Mauri is ready to partner with Amyris and leverage its expertise in biotechnology for the benefit of our industrial baking customers," Prendergast said. "While sugar plays an important role in baking, creating sweetness, color and texture in baked goods, excessive consumption is a leading cause of ill health in North America. The inclusion of Amyris' innovative Purecane ingredient in our sugar reduction solutions will allow our customers to reduce sugar in their products while maintaining the same taste and quality that consumers love and demand without the negative health consequences."

Purecane™ Brand Sweetener, also known as fermented sugarcane RebM, is a zero calorie, zero glycemic sweetener that can be used as part of a better-for-you diet to reduce the intake of sugar, calories and carbohydrates. The product serves as a solution for not only diabetics but also for the growing consumer base looking for less sugar in their diet.

The collaboration signifies a promising beginning and catalyst for future growth opportunities for the Purecane™ brand, which launched in December 2019 following Amyris' introduction of its sweetener ingredient in December 2018.

"We are very pleased to partner with a leader like AB Mauri to bring our sweetener to consumers of baked goods," said John Melo, Amyris president and chief executive officer. "Like AB Mauri, we are committed toward providing consumers with healthier options from sustainable ingredients to reduce sugar in people's diets while letting them enjoy the sweetness they desire."

Pioneering sustainable sweetness through biotechnology, Amyris created a sugarcane-based process to produce a sweetener that delivers the sweetest experience without calories or artificial chemicals. Formulated with a No Compromise® approach, Amyris' Purecane™ sweetener is comprised of only clean ingredients because the company is committed to improving the health of people and the planet without sacrificing great taste. The product line has now expanded to include a baking sweetener, formulated to be the best-performing sweetener on the market for baked goods and cooking.