Australian researchers have developed Modulex – a patented sugarcane extract that can help reduce sugar and calorie content in food and beverages while maintaining taste.
This offers a natural, healthier alternative for sugar reduction solutions amid global concerns about excessive sugar consumption.
“Our main focus at the moment is on the Americas, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. This aligns with areas where the sugar tax is implemented, as well as regions with rating systems for food products,” said Thalia Vidal, researcher at The Product Makers – an Australian firm specialising in bioactive ingredients that aim to increase antioxidant levels while reducing glycemic index.
She added: “The industries we aim to address are the beverage industry and food manufacturing, both of which require solutions for sugar reduction in their final products. Overall, we assist products using high-intensity sweeteners, such as stevia, to deliver better taste without astringency or metallic notes.”
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How it works
Modulex enhances the sensory profile of food and beverages in several ways.
“Modulex is formulated with a powerful mix of polyphenols, flavonoids, and amino acids that interact with taste receptors in the brain. This results in a multi-layered enhancement of flavour perception,” said Vidal.
The extract intensifies the perception of sweetness and saltiness, masks undesirable bitter and metallic notes often associated with artificial sweeteners and introduces umami elements for a more balanced flavour.
Additionally, it may influence salivary and lipid interactions to improve mouthfeel, helping to restore body and roundness in reduced-sugar formulations.
These mechanisms enable Modulex to help manufacturers reduce sugar content by 20–30%, significantly lowering calorie counts while maintaining palatability.
Vidal shared that taste tests were conducted to evaluate the extract’s effectiveness across different sensory dimensions.
Taste testing
The sensory studies conducted on Modulex involved a total of 16 adults, based in Australia, South East Asia, China, Europe & South America. They were a mix of trained panellists and general consumers.
One of the recent sensory evaluation studies assessed the impact of incorporating 0.1% Modulex into two beverage types – peach tea and orange carbonated soft drink – by comparing them with their standard formulations.
Key sensory attributes measured included overall likeability, metallic/astringent taste, sweetness (both upfront and lingering), and body.
For the peach tea sweetened with sugar and stevia, the addition of Modulex led to a higher likeability rating and a 20% reduction in the metallic/astringent taste commonly associated with stevia. The test sample also showed a 9% increase in perceived upfront sweetness, a 17% increase in body, and a 10% decrease in lingering sweetness.
In the orange carbonated soft drink, which was sweetened with artificial sweeteners (acesulfame potassium, aspartame, and sucralose), the version with Modulex received a 10% higher likeability score and a 15% increase in body. Metallic/astringent notes were reduced by 14%, while both upfront and lingering sweetness levels dropped by 8% and 5%, respectively.
These findings suggest that the addition of the sugarcane extract to both naturally and artificially sweetened beverages may help reduce off-notes and enhance mouthfeel, ultimately improving consumer preference.
The firm’s Chief Scientist Dr Matthew Flavel said, “Sugarcane has potential to serve as both a sugar reduction tool and a flavour modulator, offering benefits to the food and beverage industry.”
