Over many months, NAMBAWAN Spain has been extensively collaborating with MERLIN Development Inc. with the aim of establishing sensory characteristics of the NAMBAWAN’s novel proprietary sweetener Thaumatin II (trademarked Thauma™). Thaumatin II is a non-caloric high intensity sweetener (HIS) protein, the sweetest known natural substance, and NAMBAWAN intends to bring this broadly applicable sweetener and taste modifier to the market as soon as next year. The US-based MERLIN Development is a highly reputable independent contract research company active in the areas of sensory characterization of food ingredients and development of new food and beverage products.

During earlier stages of joint work, MERLIN has conducted broad sensory characterization of Thaumatin II as a sweetener, with the analyses generating quantitative (sweetness intensity and temporal sweetness curve compared to sucrose equivalent) and qualitative characteristics of the protein alone. Subsequently, sweetness quantitative and qualitative studies have been extended to blends of Thaumatin II with sucrose or with natural sweeteners such as stevia Reb M, Reb A, monk fruit Mog V etc. Both di- and tri-blends have been explored. These tests allowed us to identify the blends of Thaumatin II with sugars and with natural high intensity sweeteners that have both an excellent taste as well as a significantly lower sweetness cost-in-use. This collaboration is ongoing and it should further broaden our understanding of multiple advantages of Thaumatin II as a broadly applicable co-sweetener and taste modifier.

The knowledge gained in these previous studies is now being used to develop selected products that would allow potential customers, collaborators and partners to better understand advantages of both Thaumatin II as well as its blends with other natural caloric and non-caloric sweeteners. NAMBAWAN expects to present samples of its selected first products at the First IFT, Chicago, July 13-16, 2025.

About NAMBAWAN Spain SLU. NAMBAWAN Spain is a fully owned subsidiary of NAMBAWAN Biotech GmbH, a NOMAD’s spin-off company that is the exclusive licensor of all NOMAD products, technologies and assets for the markets outside medicine. NAMBAWAN Spain has been founded in 2023 with the mission to industrialize and commercialize NOMAD’s food additives – sweet and taste modifying proteins. NAMBAWAN Spain currently is at a pre-industrial phase and plans to start manufacturing and selling its lead product Thaumatin II starting 2025.

Corporate office of NAMBAWAN Spain in in Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain.