Oobli received a “no questions” letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in response after it self-affirmed that its protein-based sweetener monellin is suitable for foods and beverages.

Oobli has a platform of multiple sweet proteins, which are versatile for integration into any sweet food or beverage. The company also received a “no questions” letter from FDA earlier this year for another sweet protein called brazzein.

Food companies and other teams around the globe, including Grupo Bimbo, one of the largest CPG companies in the world, are working with Oobli to integrate sweet proteins in their products, with many products set to launch in 2025. Plant-based sweet proteins are a cost-effective means of replacing more than 70% of sugar in the majority of foods and beverages like sodas, baked goods, candies, and more. They can also be used to replace or complement other natural sweeteners.

“Having additional sweet proteins on the Oobli platform will enable companies across the globe to focus on ways to reduce sugar without compromising taste. It’s like having more tools in the toolkit,” said Jason Ryder, founder and CTO at Oobli. “Food is a complex system, and when we replace sweetness in a food or beverage application, all the ingredients come into play. This is why we’re so committed to approaching sweet proteins as a platform, offering more sweetener solutions to our partners.”

New Board Members

Geoffrey Duyk, MD, PhD, and Heather Malenshek recently joined Oobli’s board of directors. Duyk was formerly a vice president of research at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, president/CSO at Exelixis Pharmaceuticals, and a partner at TPG/TPG Biotech. Duyk brings technology, medical, and scientific expertise to commercialize Oobli’s platform.

Malenshek has over 30 years of marketing experience at brands including Land O’ Lakes and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. She has designed and implemented marketing strategies for food, agriculture, financial services, pharmaceuticals, motorcycles, automotive, beer, pet care, and candy, and was recognized by Forbes as one of the world’s most influential chief marketing officers.

“Our new board members, including Geoff Duyk M.D. and Heather Malenshek, bring an unparalleled level of expertise and knowledge that will help grow Oobli’s protein platform to bring change to our food system and how we make sweet foods,” said Ali Wing, CEO at Oobli. “Our additional scientific advisory board members Chris Damman M.D and Francine Kaufman M.D. round out Oobli’s focus on clinical research in areas including the gut microbiome, blood sugar and insulin response.”