Summary

Formulating high-protein drinks isn’t easy — from masking bitterness to managing solubility and texture, the challenges are real. Enter KetoseSweet® with Monk Fruit, a synergistic blend of allulose and high-purity monk fruit that delivers clean, sugar-like sweetness without off-notes, crashes, or cooling effects. This smart sweetener system boosts flavor, enhances mouthfeel, and keeps labels clean — making it the go-to choice for formulators aiming for high performance and consumer appeal in protein RTDs and mixes.

Authored by: Thom King, Icon Foods
Chief Innovations Officer/Food Scientist

If you’ve spent any time formulating high-protein RTDs or beverage mixes, you know the pain: balancing sweetness without spike, masking bitter protein notes, and managing solubility, all while keeping the label clean and consumer-friendly. Enter KetoseSweet® with Monk Fruit, a functional sweetener blend that punches well above its weight in performance — especially when it comes to protein-packed drinks.

“KetoseSweet® with Monk Fruit delivers clean, sugar-like sweetness with none of the off-notes that often come with standalone stevia or monk fruit.”

What Is KetoseSweet® with Monk Fruit?

At its core, KetoseSweet® with Monk Fruit is a blend of allulose (a rare sugar that behaves like sugar but metabolizes like fiber) and mogroside V-rich monk fruit extract. It’s a one-two punch of functionality and flavor:

• Allulose provides about 70% the sweetness of sugar with a glycemic index near zero and contributes to mouthfeel and bulk.
• Monk fruit —specifically the high-purity mogroside V — delivers the high-intensity sweetness needed to bring the profile up to parity with sugar.

Together, they deliver clean, sugar-like sweetness with none of the off-notes that often come with standalone stevia or monk fruit. No metallic flavors. No lingering notes. No chalkboard-on-tongue aftertaste.

Above is a graph comparing the sweetness curve of KetoseSweet® with Monk Fruit and sucrose. You’ll notice:

• Sucrose peaks early and fades quickly — classic clean sugar hit.
• KetoseSweet® with Monk Fruit has a slightly slower onset but lingers longer on the palate, thanks to mogroside V’s extended sweetness tail and allulose’s rounded profile.

This lingering curve is especially beneficial in high-protein beverages, where prolonged sweetness can help smooth out flavor gaps and mask late-stage bitterness.

Here’s a direct sweetness level comparison between KetoseSweet® with Monk Fruit and sucrose (sugar), assuming use in a beverage formulation:

Sweetener System	Relative Sweetness to Sucrose	Sweetness Profile	Notes
Sucrose (Sugar)	100%	Rapid onset, clean finish	Gold standard for sweetness
KetoseSweet® with Monk Fruit	~95–100%	Slightly slower onset, longer linger	Matches sugar in sweetness, smoother finish

Why It Works in High-Protein Beverages

High-protein RTDs and mixes are their own flavor battleground. You’re fighting bitter peptides, gritty textures, and formulation pH swings all in one bottle. Here’s how KetoseSweet® steps in:

Bitterness Masking

Whey, casein, and especially plant-based proteins like pea, rice, and hemp all bring earthy, sometimes bitter or grassy notes. Monk fruit’s mogroside V targets the T2R bitter receptors, helping neutralize those off-flavors. Allulose, meanwhile, rounds out the profile with gentle sweetness and no weird thermal degradation under pasteurization or UHT.

Solubility and Stability

Unlike erythritol, which can crash out in high-protein, high-solids environments, allulose stays dissolved and stable.Whether you’re batching for RTDs or blending for scoopable beverage mixes, you won’t see sugar sand or sediment. It plays well across a wide pH range and doesn’t drop out when your protein load goes up.

No Cooling Effect

Cooling effect from erythritol or xylitol? Not here. Allulose has zero cooling, making it ideal for drinks where you don’t want to confuse the palate with a minty backdraftc—cespecially in chocolate, vanilla, or creamy fruit SKUs.

Mouthfeel Enhancement

High-protein drinks can feel thin or chalky. Allulose brings a slight viscosity bump, improving texture and providing that “roundness” that sugar normally would. You get a better mouth-coating effect, which helps carry flavor and body.

Labeling & Consumer Appeal

Consumers want “no added sugar,” “keto-friendly,” and “non-GMO.” You can give them all that using KetoseSweet® with Monk Fruit.

• Allulose is FDA-approved as a rare sugar with no impact on net carbs
• Monk fruit? Clean label darling.    

Together? A sweetener system that lets you avoid artificial ingredients and reduce calories, while keeping the flavor profile sharp.

Formulation Tips for Beverage Techs

Here’s how KetoseSweet® with Monk Fruit fits into your protein beverage workflow:

Format	Recommended Use Level	Notes
Ready-to-Drink (RTD)	6–8% w/w total solids	Boost sweetness with a 1:1.2 monk fruit to allulose ratio for parity to 10–12% sugar
Dry Mix (scoopable)	8–12% of blend by weight	Ensure even dispersion; pre-mix with protein before blending in fibers or flavors
High-Viscosity Protein Shakes	Up to 10% with fiber stacking	Allulose adds smoothness; monk fruit keeps bitterness in check

Pro tip: Pair with FibRefine™ Soluable Tapioca Fiber for added mouthfeel and prebiotic appeal. Or throw in a dash of ThauSweet™ DRM if your protein base is especially loud.

Allulose stays dissolved and stable — no sugar sand, no sediment, and no weird thermal degradation under pasteurization or UHT.”

Final Sip

KetoseSweet® with Monk Fruit isn’t just another sweetener—it’s a strategic tool for formulators who want clean label performance without compromising flavor or functionality. In high-protein beverages, it delivers sweetness, masks off-notes, enhances mouthfeel, and plays nice with other ingredients—no spikes, no crash, and no consumer complaints.

Bottom line? It lets you formulate like a rockstar without needing to sweet-talk your QA team or your customers.

Reach out to your Icon Foods representative for KetoseSweet® with Monk Fruit samples, documentation and usage guidance. 

Taste the Icon difference.