EMERYVILLE, CALIF. — ASR Group, which has regional brands such as Domino sugar and C&H sugar in the United States in its portfolio, will supply and distribute a new sugarcane-derived, zero-calorie sweetener developed by Amyris, Inc. under an agreement announced Oct. 3.
The deal marks the first major supply and distribution agreement for the new sweetener, according to Emeryville-based Amyris, which manufactures the sweetener in Brazil. An independent panel has designated the sweetener as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS).
“We’re looking forward to growing our business by introducing this new product into our portfolio at a time when our customers and consumers are looking for calorie reduction without sacrificing their love for the taste of sugar,” said Richard Dyer, chief science and innovation officer for the ASR Group.
A refiner and marketer of cane sugar, ASR Group has an annual production capacity of more than 6 million tons of sugar and produces a line of grocery, industrial, food service and specialty sweetener products. Besides the Domino and C&H brands in the United States, the company’s portfolio also includes Redpath in Canada, Tate & Lyle in the United Kingdom and Sidul in Portugal.
“We’re delighted that ASR Group, a longtime leader worldwide in the sugar and sweetener markets, has become the first commercial customer and long-term partner for our sweetener,” said John Melo, president and chief executive officer for Amyrise, which uses bioscience to convert plant sugars into hydrocarbon molecules and to produce specialty ingredients and consumer products. “Amyris’s growth strategy depends on our ability to reach consumers. The more successful we are with consumers, the faster we will grow. Today’s announcement demonstrates significant strategic progress in becoming the leader in delivering caloric reduction to consumers.”