Pitch: Israeli startup using a patented filtration process to reduce sugar in juices and dairy without additives, while preserving taste and nutritional quality.
Source: BlueTree
ID card
- HQ: Israel
- Founded: 2020
- Funding: $2.26M
- Last Funding: $2.26M seed (07/24)
- Corporate investors: Sucden
- Partnerships: Priniv (Israeli juice manufacturer), Dole Packaged Foods (pineapple juice pilot)
- Innovations: patented process combining ultrafiltration and adsorption for sugar reduction in juice and dairy
- Competitors: Better Juice (Israel) using an enzymatic process to convert sugars into dietary fibres
- Regulation: self-affirmed GRAS status in the US (May 2024)
More insights
- The technology removes disaccharides (e.g. sucrose, lactose) while retaining naturally sweeter monosaccharides, resulting in up to 33% sugar reduction in juice and 75% lactose reduction in milk, without noticeable changes to taste or texture.
- The system is additive-free and modular, preserving flavour and nutrients while supporting clean-label claims and seamless integration into existing processing lines.
- BlueTree is expanding internationally following its commercial launch with Priniv in Israel (Q4 2024):
- It signed and installed a system with a juice manufacturer in Thailand to comply with their new sugar tax framework, and is concurrently in discussions with leading beverage producers in Latin America.
- It is also running pilot projects with Southeast Asian dairy manufacturers and targets the commercial launch of low- to zero-sugar dairy products by 2026.
- Beyond juice and milk, it is exploring applications in beer.
- In Europe, the technology does not require novel food authorisation but remains subject to standard EU food safety and labelling regulations.
For Symrise
Why did we select the startup?
BlueTree offers a differentiated, additive-free sugar reduction technology that is said to preserve flavour, aroma, and mouthfeel. Combining this technology with Symrise’s flavour expertise could help both the startup to scale and reach new industries. For Symrise, it could be a way to venture into new markets with a unique sugar reduction technology.
Why now?
With commercial validation in Israel, active pilots in Asia and Latin America, and self-affirmed GRAS status in the US, BlueTree is shifting from proof-of-concept to scale-up. While it has not yet received a full-GRAS, starting a collaboration now could be the right timing.
Source: BlueTree