A sugary substitute for a healthier life
An Israeli start-up company has produced a completely natural plant-based sugar alternative with the aim of cutting obesity.
Sugar fans take heed. There’s now a way to enjoy a sweet treat without the guilt, thanks to Israeli start-up B.T. Sweet. The company has created a completely natural plant-based sugar substitute with half the calories.
Cambya, which is in the form of powder or granulation, replicates the flavour and function of sugar, helping brands to reformulate their products with less or no sugar. Think chocolate spreads, sweets and cereals.
“It’s a gamechanger for the industry,” says B.T. Sweet CEO Yoav Gaon. “Around 180 million tonnes of sugar are consumed globally
per year and we want to provide a solution for those looking to reduce their sugar intake.
“This is a big step in the war on obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and for people’s overall wellbeing.”
He adds: “The European Food Safety Association has said sugar is a problem and the manufacturers need to adjust. The way to do this is through regulations, taxes and creating customer awareness and we are at that door. We are solving the biggest problems food and beverage manufacturers have, how to reduce or replace white added sugar.”
The formula is based on soluble fibres, monk fruit and select botanicals. It can replace sugar in a multitude of applications, and is in trials with many leading fast-moving consumer goods companies in the confectionary and ice cream arena.
“Manufacturers will be able to reach their sugar reduction targets without sacrificing on the taste or sensory properties of sugar. We have developed an all-natural ingredient, a plant-based sweetening compound, which is a one-to-one equivalent to sugar,” says Gaon.
“This is a big step in the war on obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and for people’s overall wellbeing.
Cambya is based on years of research in Israel, and was developed in 2019 by industrial entrepreneur Dagi Pekatch after he showed early signs of type 2 diabetes. He researched the negative health impacts of high sugar consumption and convinced colleagues to help him develop this botanical sugar substitute.
The company has raised seed private funding and operates a production plant in Poland. Cambya has gone through multiple sensory lab testing, and has also been tested out on parents and children.
According to the World Health Organisation, the daily added sugar intake recommended for an adult is no more than six teaspoons. Countries across the globe have pledged their commitment to reducing sugar in an attempt to tackle increasing obesity levels, which have reportedly risen threefold around the world since 1975.
The NHS Digital National Child Measurement programme England 2020/2021 found that one in four children of reception age are overweight or obese, rising to 40 percent for those in Year 6. The UK recently launched the NHS Food Scanner app, which aims to help parents make healthier choices for their children.
Gaon is passionate about using technology for good. He is also the co-founder of licecombot.com, a patented three-in one self-cleaning system that helps prevent and get rid of head lice, and a start-up very close to his heart, Yoocan Technologies, the first global empowerment site for people with disabilities and their families. “When my youngest son Erez, now 13, was born with a rare disease and complex disability, looking for information and support, I discovered that Googling was not effective. It would send me to ‘sad, sick and rehabilitative’ websites’ which wasn’t what I was looking for. So, seven years ago, my brother and co-founder, Moshe Gaon, decided to launch a digital platform to be a global collaborative community and ecosystem for and by people with disabilities.”
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Is Israel leading the way when it comes to tech for good start-ups? “Israel has a built-in culture of innovation, finding solutions for problems; curiosity and creativity combined with a can-do attitude is what makes start-ups pop up almost in every field.
“Tech for good, accepting the different, inclusion and humanism is a big part of Judaism’s tradition of bringing light to the world.”
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