DFI’s erythritol moves closer to market as company plans new plant next to raw material source

01-Jul-2014 - Last updated on 02-Jul-2014 at 14:34 GMT

Erythritol is tooth friendly and zero calorie (0.2cals/g)

Biotech firm Dynamic Food Ingredients (DFI) Corporation has announced plans to construct an industrial scale polyol manufacturing facility near one of ADM’s wet-mill corn processing facilities in the US, giving the company an over-the-fence source of raw materials.

"Securing a reliable source of quality raw materials is one of the final steps in scaling DFI's patented erythritol technology," said Paul Magnotto, DFI's CEO. "We look forward to providing sweeteners to the market that are produced in a sustainable, environmentally friendly, and less costly manner."

Tooth friendly, zero calorie (0.2cals/g), good for diabetics (it doesn’t raise blood sugar), and well-tolerated in the gut (unlike some other polyols); erythritol is about 60-70% as sweet as sugar.

It also blends well with high intensity sweeteners such as stevia and monk fruit and is used in everything from reduced sugar ice cream, confectionery, baked goods, beverages, and table-top sweeteners such as Truvia and Nectresse and Perfecta.

As reported previously by FoodNavigator-USA, DFI has patented a ‘green electrochemistry’ process developed at Purdue University - and licensed to DFI - that can deliver higher yields from the starter material (anything that contains glucose - typically corn) and slash production time

"This technology is a ground shift in the carbohydrate world," said Jonathan Stapley, CTO and co-inventor of the process. "DFI's first product, erythritol, is also unique among carbohydrates for its near-zero calorie content, sweetening power, and growing list of possible health benefits."

Construction on the facility is anticipated to commence in the summer of 2015.