Nambawan Spain Launches Thaûma™, a Breakthrough Natural Sweetener Designed to Transform Sugar Reduction in Food and Beverage Products

Plant-Derived Protein Sweetener Delivers Superior Taste and Cost Efficiency; Samples Available at IFT FIRST 2026

EXTREMADURA, Spain, June 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nambawan Spain, a green-tech food innovator pioneering the future of protein sweeteners through plant molecular farming, today announced the commercial launch of Thaûma™, a plant-derived thaumatin II sweetener and flavor modifier designed to help food and beverage manufacturers overcome longstanding challenges associated with sugar reduction. The company will showcase Thaûma™ and offer product samples at IFT FIRST 2026, July 12–15, at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois, Startup Pavilion, Booth 67.

As food and beverage manufacturers race to meet growing consumer demand for healthier, lower-sugar products, they continue to face difficult tradeoffs between taste, cost, ingredient availability, and formulation complexity. According to Grand View Research, the global sugar substitutes market is projected to grow from approximately $8 billion in 2024 to more than $15 billion by 2033, driven by increasing demand for healthier, lower-calorie alternatives to sugar. At the same time, GLP-1 adoption is accelerating demand for better-tasting, nutrient-conscious food and beverage products.

Thaûma™ is a non-caloric, non-glycemic, protein-based sweetener and flavor modifier suitable for functional beverages, nutrition products, dairy, confectionery, and other reduced-sugar applications. Supported by five FDA and FEMA GRAS approvals and JECFA safety certification, Thaûma™ provides manufacturers with the regulatory confidence needed to accelerate product development and commercialization.

Recognized as the most potent natural sweetener known to science, Thaûma™ delivers sweetness intensity up to 13,600 times greater than sugar, at 5 SEV (Sucrose Equivalent Value). At extremely low use levels of just 1–5 parts per million—75 to 230 times lower than stevia or monk fruit—Thaûma™ functions as a highly effective co-sweetener that enhances the performance of natural sweeteners while significantly reducing formulation costs.

In addition to sweetness, Thaûma™ acts as a powerful flavor modifier, helping mask bitter, astringent, licorice, fruity, and fermented off-notes while enhancing sweetness perception and improving overall taste and mouthfeel.

Unlike many natural sweeteners that face agricultural limitations and supply volatility, Thaûma™ is produced using sustainable plant molecular farming technology. This innovative production platform provides a transparent, reliable, and scalable supply chain capable of supporting growing global demand.

"For decades, formulators have been forced to compromise between taste, cost, supply reliability, and sustainability when developing products with natural sweeteners," said Dr. Yuri Gleba, CEO of Nambawan Spain. "Thaûma™ combines exceptional sweetness intensity, flavor enhancement, regulatory acceptance, and scalable production in a single ingredient platform, helping brands create healthier products without the tradeoffs that have historically limited natural sweetener adoption."

By combining sweetening and flavor-modifying functionality, Thaûma™ enables manufacturers to reduce sugar, improve taste, lower formulation costs, and accelerate innovation across multiple product categories.

Food and beverage manufacturers, flavor houses, ingredient suppliers, and members of the media are invited to visit Nambawan Spain at IFT FIRST 2026, Startup Pavilion Booth 67, to sample Thaûma™, meet the development team, discuss formulation opportunities, and explore commercial partnerships.

To schedule a meeting or request samples, contact [email protected].

About NAMBAWAN Spain:

NAMBAWAN Spain is a food-ingredient innovator and spin-off of NOMAD Bioscience GmbH, focused on developing sweet- and flavor-modifying proteins. Headquartered in Extreadura, Spain, NAMBAWAN is on a mission to create the world's most potent sweetener proteins, eliminating the impossible choice between taste, health, cost, and sustainability. Using a biomimetic approach, their ingredients are designed to replace scarce, wild-foraging practices with scalable agricultural production, ensuring that the next generation of natural sweeteners can help reduce sugar consumption and support healthy lifestyles.

SOURCE Nambawan