Key Takeaways
- Nambawan Spain has commercially launched Thaûma™, a plant-derived thaumatin II sweetener and flavor modifier produced via plant molecular farming technology.
- Thaûma™ delivers sweetness intensity up to 13,600 times greater than sugar at extremely low use levels of 1–5 parts per million, between 75 and 230 times lower than stevia or monk fruit.
- The ingredient carries five FDA and FEMA GRAS approvals and JECFA safety certification, providing manufacturers with a regulatory-ready path to commercialisation.
- In addition to sweetening, Thaûma™ functions as a flavor modifier, masking bitter, astringent, licorice, fruity, and fermented off-notes while improving mouthfeel.
- Nambawan Spain will exhibit and offer product samples at IFT FIRST 2026, July 12–15 at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Startup Pavilion Booth 67.
Nambawan Spain Commercially Launches Thaûma™ Thaumatin II Sweetener
Nambawan Spain, a green-tech food ingredient company focused on protein sweeteners through plant molecular farming, has announced the commercial launch of Thaûma™ — a non-caloric, non-glycemic thaumatin II sweetener and flavor modifier targeting the growing market for sugar reduction in food and beverage applications. The product is positioned for use in functional beverages, nutrition products, dairy, confectionery, and other reduced-sugar categories.
The launch enters a rapidly expanding market. The global sugar substitutes sector is projected to grow from approximately $8 billion in 2024 to more than $15 billion by 2033, according to Grand View Research, driven by consumer demand for lower-calorie alternatives and the accelerating adoption of GLP-1 therapies that are reshaping expectations around taste and nutrition. Nambawan positions Thaûma™ as a solution to the longstanding tradeoffs formulators face between taste quality, cost, supply reliability, and regulatory clearance when working with natural sweetener ingredients.
“For decades, formulators have been forced to compromise between taste, cost, supply reliability, and sustainability when developing products with natural sweeteners. 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,” said Dr. Yuri Gleba, CEO of Nambawan Spain.
Performance Profile: Sweetness Intensity and Flavor Modification
Thaumatin II is recognised as the most potent natural sweetener known to science. Thaûma™ delivers sweetness intensity up to 13,600 times that of sugar at 5 SEV (Sucrose Equivalent Value), at use levels of just 1–5 parts per million. This places it between 75 and 230 times more potent than stevia or monk fruit on a use-level basis, with the company positioning Thaûma™ as a co-sweetener that enhances the performance of other natural sweetening systems while reducing overall formulation costs.
Beyond sweetness, the ingredient functions as a flavor modifier, capable of masking bitter, astringent, licorice, fruity, and fermented off-notes that commonly arise in reduced-sugar formulations. It also enhances sweetness perception and improves mouthfeel, addressing two of the primary sensory gaps that manufacturers face when reducing sugar content in finished products.
Plant Molecular Farming Production and Regulatory Status
Thaûma™ is produced using plant molecular farming — a sustainable agricultural production platform that uses plants as biological factories for high-value proteins. Nambawan describes this approach as providing a more transparent, reliable, and scalable supply chain compared with conventional thaumatin sourcing, which depends on the West African katemfe fruit and faces well-documented agricultural constraints and supply volatility.
From a regulatory standpoint, Thaûma™ holds five FDA and FEMA GRAS approvals alongside JECFA safety certification, providing manufacturers with the compliance confidence needed to accelerate product development and launch timelines across major markets.
IFT FIRST 2026 Debut
Nambawan Spain will showcase Thaûma™ and offer product samples at IFT FIRST 2026, running 12–15 July at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. The company will be located at Startup Pavilion Booth 67, where food and beverage manufacturers, flavor houses, ingredient suppliers, and prospective commercial partners can meet the development team and discuss formulation applications.
