Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc. (AHN) has partnered with Shiru, an AI-driven protein discovery company, to develop and commercialize sweet proteins for beverages and specialty products.

This partnership, which marks AHN's first venture into sweet proteins, combines Shiru's AI-driven discovery platform, Flourish, with AHN's expertise in fermentation to uncover natural, food-safe proteins not previously known to be sweet. The goal is to overcome challenges related to taste effects and stability. 

The companies claim these sweet proteins could potentially replace 70%–90% of sugar in food and beverage products, offering up to 5,000x more sweetness than sugar without causing blood sugar spikes.

Analyst QuickTake: Unlike the popular sugar substitute stevia, sweet proteins derived from plant sources have no aftertaste. While both provide sugar-free alternatives, sweet proteins are gaining attention for their ability to more closely mimic sugar's taste profile, making them a versatile option for food and beverage applications. Companies like Alkion BioInnovations and Sweegen have already developed sweet protein solutions that offer between 300x and 2,000x more sweetness than sugar.