Read about the many advances in natural sweeteners.
Summary Colostrum may be nature’s first functional food, but it’s rapidly becoming one of today’s most compelling clean-label opportunities. Packed with immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, growth factors, and gut-supporting peptides, bovine colostrum sits at the intersection of immunity, performance, and digestive health, three megatrends shaping modern formulation. As consumer familiarity grows and Read more…
Why 4 to 5 Grams of Sugar is the New “No Added Sugar” in Better-For-You Beverages and Snacks Summary The pursuit of zero sugar has pushed many brands into a sensory corner, creating beverages and snacks that check regulatory boxes but fall short of flavor, mouthfeel, and consumer satisfaction. This Read more…
Delivering Functionality. Formulated for Innovation. Summary IconiPro V.1 is Icon Foods’ smarter plant protein system—engineered for formulators who demand more than grams on a label. By blending pea, brown rice, hemp, and pumpkin seed proteins into a synergistic stack, IconiPro V.1 delivers a complete amino acid profile, high bioavailability, clean-label Read more…
Inulin v. Soluble Tapioca Fiber v. Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum (PHGG) Summary In acidic, heat-treated beverages, not all fibers behave the same. Understanding those differences can make or break your formulation. In this technical showdown, we tested inulin, soluble tapioca fiber, and partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) under tunnel pasteurization Read more…
… and Why Smart Formulators are Buying Ahead (Like Soluble Tapioca Fiber!) Summary Fiber is emerging as the quiet juggernaut of 2026, fueled by consumer demand for gut health, satiety, glucose control, and clean-label functionality across every major category—from RTDs and bars to bakery, confections, and frozen treats. As soluble Read more…
Summary As tariffs, supply-chain volatility, and growing consumer skepticism disrupt erythritol’s longtime dominance in reduced-sugar formulation, isomalt emerges as a stable, cost-effective, and sensory-superior alternative. Derived from beet sugar and delivering a smoother sweetness curve with far less cooling, isomalt offers reliable bulk, excellent heat and acid stability, and a Read more…
How Prebiotic Fibers, Symbiotics, and Postbiotics Crank Up GLP-1 Summary GLP-1 may be the headline hormone of the metabolic era, but food and beverage formulators don’t need pharma to play in this space. The gut already manufactures GLP-1 naturally through short-chain fatty acids produced during fiber fermentation. This article breaks Read more…
A Functional Approach for Food Technologists and Beverage Formulators Summary In the fast-evolving world of functional beverages, gut-healthy sodas are redefining what it means to “drink your wellness.” This white paper from Icon Foods’ Chief Innovation Officer Thom King dives into the science and formulation strategies behind creating carbonated soft Read more…
Cracking the Code on Mouthfeel, Sweetness, and Terpene Oddities Summary As alcohol consumption declines and health-conscious consumers embrace cannabis beverages, formulators face a new challenge: creating low-sugar THC drinks that taste great without the “weed tea” effect. This white paper explores how clean-label sweeteners like allulose, monk fruit, and advanced Read more…
Summary MonkSweet™ LS4 is Icon Foods’ next-generation stevia–monk fruit blend engineered to deliver clean, sugar-like sweetness with exceptional masking performance in complex formulations. By combining mogroside V from monk fruit with rebaudioside M (Reb M) from stevia, LS4 activates multiple sweet receptors to produce a fast-onset, rounded flavor curve that mimics Read more…