UK food tech startup Zya is working on an enzyme that could convert sugar into fiber within a consumer’s digestive system. The London-based company wants food manufacturers to include the enzyme in their products, transforming them into healthier eating options without altering their taste. This enzyme, part of a group known as inulosucrases, rearranges sugar molecules into inulin fiber, fostering the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Lab tests demonstrated that this enzyme could convert up to 30% of sugar present in food products into fiber.

The sugar we consume largely comes as added sugar, which unlike naturally occurring sugars, often lacks nutrients that the body needs. They are usually processed or prepared into three quarters of packaged food products sold in US supermarkets. The downside is that too much added sugar can raise blood glucose levels and blood pressure, as well as increase chronic inflammation. On the other hand, fibers, which this startup aims to increase in food, can lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels, and helps regulate bowel activity.

Zya plans to introduce its product, Convero, into the US market by 2026, initially targeting dry food products. To achieve this, they will have to get their enzyme approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Notably, Zya is not the only company exploring this space. Kraft Heinz, a large American food company, is currently partnering with the Wyss Institute at Harvard University to develop similar enzymes.

Source: A New Startup Wants to Turn the Sugar You Eat Into Fiber.