Sipping Into a Clean Label Alcohol-Free Future: A Formulator’s Guide to No-Added Sugar Mocktails Summary The rapid rise of alcohol-free lifestyles is reshaping the beverage landscape, and with it comes a powerful opportunity for formulators. As traditional alcohol consumption declines and ready-to-drink mocktails surge, today’s consumers are demanding more than Read more…
Summary Organic allulose has officially crossed the line from industry legend to commercial reality, and with it comes a fundamental shift in what’s possible for clean-label, reduced-sugar formulation. Once considered a “unicorn” ingredient, organic allulose now delivers sugar-like performance, real bulk, clean sweetness, and negligible glycemic impact, all within a Read more…
The Ingredient Everyone Wants and Almost Nobody Can Get Enough Of Summary Organic allulose is rapidly becoming one of the most important ingredients in modern sugar-reduction strategies. As brands pursue clean label positioning, low-sugar nutrition panels, and premium product experiences, organic allulose offers a rare combination of functionality and consumer Read more…
The Part Everyone Tastes, but Few Talk About A formulator’s field guide to why sweetness timing matters, what goes wrong, and how to fix it Summary Sweetness isn’t just about how strong it is. It’s about how it behaves over time. In this white paper, Icon Foods’ Chief Innovation Officer Read more…
A Guide to Sweet Protein – Taste Receptor Interactions – and How Not to Screw Them Up Summary The era of brute-force sugar reduction is over. Sweet proteins are here, and they demand a smarter hand. In this white paper, Thom King unpacks the receptor-level science behind thaumatin and brazzein, Read more…
Sweetener Breakups Are Hard: Why the Industry Is Quietly Moving on from Erythritol (and What to Do Instead) Summary Erythritol hasn’t been banned, and it hasn’t stopped functioning. What’s changed is risk. Once a quiet, reliable workhorse in sugar reduction, erythritol now carries perception volatility and trade exposure that smart Read more…
How Icon Foods Steers Brands Through the New Nutrition Frontier At SCIFTS and again at EXPOWest, the food and beverage industry won’t just be trading samples and business cards—they’ll be navigating the tectonic shift that’s reshaping how products get made, labeled, and loved. With the launch of the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Read more…
Why the New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Will Reshape Better-For-You Food Innovation, and How You Can Lead the Charge Summary The upcoming 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans signal a decisive shift in federal nutrition policy, placing added sugar and highly processed foods squarely in the spotlight. Rather than focusing narrowly on Read more…
Fillings • Added Sugars • And a New Day for Baked Goods When we talk about sugar reduction in baked goods, most conversations obsess over the dough. The crust. The base. The bread part. Meanwhile, the real sugar bomb is sitting quietly inside, minding its own business, wearing a strawberry Read more…
— with Botanicals and Adaptogens Summary Functional beverages packed with botanicals and adaptogens present a unique sweetness challenge, especially in low-pH systems where acidity, bitterness, and astringency can distort taste perception. This white paper explores how stevia and monk fruit behave under these demanding conditions and shows why successful formulation Read more…