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Sweets of the future: "EFKO-ART" started production of sweets with sweet protein

07.02.2025
Sweets of the future: "EFKO-ART" started production of sweets with sweet protein
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EFKO has started the production and sale of the first sweets with brazzein, a sweet protein, in Russia. The product was presented at the international exhibition Prodexpo-2025.

 

Brazzein sweet protein is a healthy alternative to sugar. The range of sweet protein sweets currently consists of three flavors, with a chocolate and ice cream line in preparation.

 

Sweets are produced at the EFKO-Art mini-confectionery in the Belgorod region, which is equipped with all the necessary appliances for creating and testing recipes for new products. In time, the industrial production of sugar-free chocolate with sweet protein will be organized at the EFKO plant that is currently under construction in the Tula region.

 

So far, deliveries have been made to four cities: Moscow, Voronezh, Belgorod and Alekseevka in the Belgorod region. The geography will be gradually expanded.

 

The demand for healthy alternatives to sugar has always been there. This is due to both the increasing number of people with diabetes worldwide and consumers' desire for a healthy lifestyle.

 

Sweet proteins were first discovered in the late twentieth century in equatorial African plants. To date, six such highly sweet-tasting proteins have been discovered: monellin (discovered in 1969), thaumatin (1972), pentadin (1989), mabinlin (1983), curculin (1990), and brazzein (1994). However, their extraction from tropical fruits is not cost effective and does not produce sufficient quantities of protein. Therefore, scientists around the world are working on a production method. The EFKO Group of Companies has developed brazzein sweet protein through fermentation. Such production is much more compact and environmentally friendly than traditional one, as it does not require large cultivation areas and is not dependent on climate. In the summer of 2024, EFKO Group certified the ingredient in the EAEU.

 

Brazzein sweet protein has amino acids in its composition and its sweetness exceeds that of sugar by a thousand times or more. While a typical chocolate bar contains about 50 grams of sugar, you only need five hundredths of a gram of sweet protein to achieve the same taste. The space freed up in the recipe can be filled with healthy ingredients such as fiber.

 

Clinical studies have confirmed the safety of brazzein. In 2024, the world's first clinical study of brazzein sweet protein was completed. The results indicate that it is safe to use in food and has a positive effect on the body when consumed over a long period of time. Brazzein does not increase blood sugar levels and does not contribute to fat accumulation.

 

 

Alena Surkova
Director of the Confectionery Department

"For over 20 years EFKO has been working with food ingredients. They are developed and tested in the company's two R&D centers in Alekseevka and Moscow. The assortment of the Oil and Fat Division already includes more than 150 different ingredients and continues to expand. Investments in the development of technology for the production of sweet proteins amounted to 1.3 billion rubles. The confectionery equipment itself cost about 8 million rubles," says Alena Surkova, the Director of the Confectionery Department of EFKO's Oil and Fat Division. - Now that we are at the stage of developing and testing various recipes using sweet protein, the key challenge is to find a filler to replace the mass of sugar in the product. The best option is a combination of bulk complex carbohydrates, including vegetable fiber. Then, with a properly selected recipe, we get products with a taste and consistency as close as possible to what consumers are used to - habitually sweet, yet healthy! "

 

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Dear partners!

In order to improve EFKO products and quality of service, as well as to better meet your needs, we ask you to answer a few questions.

In the Alekseevskaya Sloboda of the Belgorod province, where in the late 1820s, sunflower oil was produced for the first time in the Russian Empire, and the first oil mill in Russia was built.

During the years of the First World War, and then the Civil War, production was completely stopped. The restoration of the plant began only in 1923. The main focus of its work remained the processing of coriander and anise. In 1936, the second oil extraction plant in all of Russia was built in Alekseevka. Later, both enterprises were merged into one of the largest essential oil extraction complexes in the Soviet Union.

During the Great Patriotic War, the complex was almost destroyed. Restoration work, which began in 1943, continued until the end of 1948. In the post-war period, comprehensive reconstruction was carried out on many sections using the latest technological advancements. By the 1970s, the Alekseevsky essential oil extraction complex produced up to 80% of the world's coriander oil. For its achievements in production development, the development and implementation of advanced technology, by decree of August 14, 1972, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR awarded the plant the Order of the Badge of Honor.

Unfortunately, in the 1990s, the enterprise that brought fame and wealth to the people of Alekseevka fell into decline and practically collapsed. The revival of the enterprise began in 1994 with the arrival of a new team and the creation of the EFCO Group.

The enterprise underwent large-scale modernization of production and established a new management system. The company decided to return to its roots and resume the production of sunflower oil. Later, EFCO expanded the range and volume of products.

In 2002, a new business direction was opened, and the most modern plant for the production of specialized fats and margarines for the food industry, EFCO Food Ingredients, was launched in the city of Alekseevka, Belgorod region. A scientific and production laboratory was established at the plant, equipped to control product quality at all stages of production and conduct in-depth scientific research.

In 2002–2003, EFCO technologists mastered the most environmentally friendly process of vegetable oil processing – the 'dry' fractionation method, applied the technology of physical refining of oils and fats, and managed to create Russia's first cocoa butter substitute 'Ecolad,' milk fat substitute 'Ecolact,' solid confectionery fat 'Ekond,' soft confectionery fat 'Ekonfe,' universal margarines 'Ecouniversal,' frying shortenings 'Ecofri,' and the first domestic fats with minimal trans-isomers content – confectionery fats 'Econat.'

In 2005, the R&D center of the fats and oils division was created based on EFCO Food Ingredients, consisting of the Applied Research Center and the Pilot Plant Department. The center’s specialists are engaged in developing and testing fat products for healthy eating lines and innovative recipes, taking into account the needs of manufacturers.

In 2006, the company was the first in Russia to successfully pass an audit for compliance with the quality and safety requirements of the BRC (Global Standard for Food Safety) and the International Food Standard (IFS). Is this information relevant?

In 2008, the second plant for the production of specialized fats and margarines was launched in the port of Taman in the Krasnodar Territory, and the only deep-water sea terminal for food cargo in Russia was built.

The following year, the plant successfully passed certification for compliance with the quality and safety requirements of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the International Food Standard (IFS). International auditors awarded the company the highest compliance level – Grade AA. Is this information relevant?

In 2014, the company’s technologists created the first domestic equivalent of cocoa butter.

In 2015, the EFCO Group launched a project to create a unique fats and oils cluster in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Thanks to production modernization and the transfer of global technologies, the production of specialized fats and margarines meeting the highest international standards was established in a short time.

In 2016, EFCO opened its fourth site for the production of specialized fats and margarines at the Evdakovsky fats and oils plant in the Voronezh region.

In 2021, production capacity at the Taman port facility was increased – launching the world's first 'million-ton plant' for the production of specialized fats and margarines. Do we need this?

In 2023, the company launched the only shea nut processing plant in Russia.

Thanks to R&D and significant investments by domestic producers in developing their own infrastructure, primarily by EFCO, the share of imported producers in the Russian food ingredients market has decreased from 49% to 9% over the past 15 years and continues to decline.

Almost 200 years later, Alekseevka remains the largest center for vegetable oil processing in the country.

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