Project X - The countdown to sugar.

The soft drinks industry is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by growing health awareness, changing consumer expectations, and the push for regulatory compliance. Consumers are no longer just looking for healthier alternatives, they’re demanding them. The overconsumption of sugar is fuelling a global health crisis, with obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease now among the leading causes of preventable deaths worldwide.

The soft drinks industry is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by growing health awareness, changing consumer expectations, and the push for regulatory compliance. Consumers are no longer just looking for healthier alternatives, they’re demanding them. The overconsumption of sugar is fuelling a global health crisis, with obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease now among the leading causes of preventable deaths worldwide.

The challenge: health vs. taste.

Regulations like the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) have forced brands to cut sugar,
leading to a 29% reduction in soft drink sugar content. But the reality is, consumers still
want great-tasting drinks. Sugar doesn’t just provide sweetness, it defines mouthfeel,
enhances texture, and preserves stability. Removing it entirely while maintaining the
drinking experience has been one of the industry’s biggest challenges.


The breakthrough: redefining sugar.

We’ve already made significant progress, developing a proprietary blend of Stevia Reb M and fructose that cuts sugar by over 70%, keeping our drinks within HFSS compliance (<4.5g per 100ml) while maintaining the taste and texture consumers expect. Using advanced techniques such as enzymatic modification and bioconversion, we’ve eliminated Stevia’s bitterness to deliver a clean, sugar-like sweetness, without the health risks.

But we’re not stopping there.

The mission: zero sugar by 2030.

Project X is not just about reducing sugar, it’s about removing it entirely. By 2030, we will eliminate sugar from soft drinks altogether, delivering a clean-label alternative that mirrors sugar’s taste, texture, and mouthfeel, without compromise.

This mission isn’t happening in isolation. Project X feeds directly into our two other innovations: Project zero (eliminating artificial sweeteners) and Project R (pioneering natural preservation). Together, these projects will allow us to completely redefine soft drinks, making them clean, naturally preserved, and free from sugar and artificial sweeteners.