1. Executive Summary

D-Xylitol is a sugar polyol that has been used in the food industry as a low-caloric sweetener. Also, it has reported having multiple beneficial health effects such as the prevention of dental caries, osteoporosis, and acute otitis media. Currently, D-Xylitol is commonly produced by the chemical reduction of D-Xylose presented in Xylans. However, this process represents substantial costs for the industry. We have designed a genetic circuit for the expression of the necessary enzymes for the biological production of xylitol from lignocellulose hydrolysates.

We have also created a comprehensive first iteration of a business plan for the production of Xweet, a key ingredient in tooth-decay defying sweets. We have filed a provisional patent and trademarked our more environmentally friendly method for the production of Xweet. Adopting a lean method, we have engaged extensively with the confectionary industry, prototyping Xweet confectionery and setting out a pathway for commercial success.

Product

The problem

Through our engagement with our local elderly community we identified a demand for tea-time treats that did not cause tooth-decay or imbalances in sugar levels. Adopting a lean method, we have engaged extensively with the confectionary industry to explore London’s sugar-substituted sweet landscape to confirm this as a wider demand. Our extensive literature search drew our attention to xylitol, a sugar substitute with widely-reported health benefits but an environmentally unfavorable and expensive production process. Xylitol is a key ingredient in tooth-decay defying sweets. Speaking to the UK’s confectionary manufacturers, we confirmed demand for xylitol produced in a less expensive and more environmentally friendly way.

Demand for tooth-decay defying treats

London’s ageing population have a sweet tooth. Reports show that this is due to the impact that ageing has on our taste buds. Over time our taste buds decrease in number and become less sensitive. This is compounded by the effect of age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease, with the loss of taste and smell actually becoming increasingly important in the diagnosis of these disease. This drives the increasingly sweet tooth of the ageing population which in turn drives a negative impact on the oral health of this population. The oral disease burden, of which a big part is attributable our ageing population, is causing the total oral health expenditure within the EU to rise to an enormous €93 billion in 2020. There is therefore a push in public health policy towards prevention.

The demand for tooth-decay defying treats is

D-Xylitol is a sugar polyol that has been used in the food industry as a low-caloric sweetener. It also has been reported as having multiple beneficial health effects such as the prevention of dental caries, osteoporosis, and acute otitis media. Increasing commercial and scientific interest in xylitol has led to a high demand for this product in the global market of more than 125,000 tonnes per annum. Cell-surface display of enzymes for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into xylitol