The reduced-sugar reformulation race just picked up a new tool. At IFT 2026—the Institute of Food Technologists expo running July 13–15 in Chicago—Samyang Corporation pulled the wraps off Fibernova, a crystalline dietary fiber brand aimed squarely at the products shoppers and operators want more of: less sugar, more fiber, and a cleaner drinking experience.
For foodservice executives, procurement directors, and product developers, the timing is no accident. As GLP-1 medications reshape appetite and nutritional priorities, demand is surging for smaller portions with higher nutritional value—reduced sugar paired with added protein and fiber, and longer-lasting satiety. Fibernova is Samyang's answer to that shift.
What Fibernova Actually Is
Fibernova is the new brand name for Kestose, Samyang Corporation's crystalline dietary fiber ingredient. The name fuses "Fiber" with "Nova"—shorthand for innovation—to signal what the company calls an "innovative next-generation dietary fiber ingredient."
Kestose is a type of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and a prebiotic that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. A few specs that matter to formulators:
- High purity: more than 99% fructooligosaccharides.
- Crystalline form: unlike conventional dietary fibers, it can be produced as crystals.
- Near-zero sugar: roughly 30% of the sweetness of sugar while containing only about 1% sugar.
That combination—crystalline structure, high fiber content, and a near-zero sugar profile—makes it a fit for functional beverages and other nutrition-focused products. To make the case at the booth, Samyang handed out powdered electrolyte drink sticks made with Fibernova: low in sugar, high in fiber, and formulated to dissolve cleanly without the powder clumping that plagues so many mix-in products.
The AI Angle: Samyang's 3S Solution
Fibernova didn't arrive alone. Samyang also showcased its AI-powered sugar reduction platform, the 3S (Smart, Simple, Successful) Solution. Customers enter a target sugar reduction, desired product characteristics, and cost requirements—and the AI recommends the optimal combination and formulation ratios of Samyang's specialty ingredients.
The practical payoff is speed. The tool is designed to cut the time and cost of initial formulation design, repeated sample testing, and the endless tweaking that reformulation usually entails. To prove it, Samyang served pectin gummies built with the 3S Solution, using the alternative sweetener allulose and the soluble fiber resistant maltodextrin to slash sugar while holding onto the texture and flavor consumers expect from gummy confectionery.
A Broader Ingredient Portfolio
Fibernova joins a growing lineup of Samyang specialty ingredients aimed at the global better-for-you market:
- Nexweet — an allulose brand; allulose is an almost zero-calorie alternative sweetener with about 70% of the sweetness of sugar.
- Fiberest — a resistant maltodextrin brand; a soluble dietary fiber that may help support regular bowel movements, curb postprandial blood glucose spikes, and improve blood triglyceride levels.
Samyang has exhibited at IFT annually since 2017. This year's show draws more than 1,000 companies from roughly 80 countries and over 20,000 industry professionals—a global stage for the company's metabolic research. The company shared findings on how ingredients including allulose, kestose, and resistant maltodextrin affect metabolic responses such as postprandial blood glucose and the gut environment.
"In developing reduced-sugar products, it is essential to reduce the amount of sugar used while maintaining excellent taste and texture," said Jung Jisuk, Head of the Food Business Unit at Samyang Corporation. "Based on our 3S Solution and specialty food ingredients, Samyang Corporation will continue to strengthen its capabilities to support customized product development and respond quickly to the diverse needs of global food companies."
Why It Matters
For operators, brand owners, and institutional buyers, Fibernova lands in the middle of two hard problems: cutting sugar without gutting taste, and adding fiber without wrecking mouthfeel. A high-purity, crystalline FOS that carries fiber and prebiotic benefits at only ~1% sugar gives product teams a cleaner lever to pull—especially in the functional beverage category, where clumping and off-textures kill repeat purchase.
The GLP-1 wave is the deeper story here. As satiety, portion size, and blood-sugar impact move to the center of what consumers buy, ingredients that support reduced-sugar, higher-fiber, higher-protein formats stop being a niche and start becoming table stakes. Buyers evaluating suppliers should note the platform play: pairing specialty ingredients (Fibernova, Nexweet, Fiberest) with an AI formulation tool that promises faster, cheaper reformulation is a competitive edge when speed-to-shelf matters.
The takeaway for R&D and procurement teams: if reduced-sugar and gut-health claims are on your 2026 roadmap, it's worth pressure-testing crystalline fiber options like Fibernova against your current fiber and sweetener systems—both for cost and for the sensory results your customers actually notice.
Explore More
For more on how ingredient innovation is reshaping menus and product lines, see our coverage of G.S. Gelato's protein-forward "Pumped Up" vanilla and Fields Good's functional cookies. Are you reformulating for the reduced-sugar, high-fiber shift? Tell us what's working in the comments.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
