THAUMATINE

Thaumatin is a natural sweetener and flavor modifier that is derived from the katemfe fruit (Thaumatococcus daniellii), which is native to West Africa. Thaumatin has been used traditionally in some African cuisines, and its sweetness was discovered by accident when it was noticed that the fruit made everything else taste sweet.

• Natural Sweetener: Thaumatin is a protein that has natural sweetening properties. Despite being a protein, it is intensely sweet, reportedly hundreds or thousands of times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar).
• Taste Modification: Thaumatin not only imparts sweetness but also has the ability to modify and enhance other flavors in food and beverages. It is often described as having a clean, licorice-like taste.
• Applications: Thaumatin is used as a food additive and sweetener in various products such as beverages, desserts, yogurts, and chewing gums. It is sometimes used in combination with other sweeteners to enhance sweetness and reduce the overall sugar content in products.
• Stability: Thaumatin is heat-stable, making it suitable for use in a wide range of food and beverage applications, including those that undergo processing or cooking.
• Safety: Thaumatin is generally regarded as safe (GRAS) by regulatory authorities such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). It has been used in some regions for many years without reported adverse effects.
• Production: Thaumatin is commercially produced through the extraction and purification of the protein from the katemfe fruit. The process involves crushing the fruit, separating the seeds, and extracting the protein from the pulp.
• E-Number: In the European Union, thaumatin is assigned the E-number E957 when used as a food additive.