HealthTech Bio Actives (HTBA), a leading innovator in citrus flavonoids for winning food and beverage products, is set to introduce European food and beverage manufacturers to citrose, its next-generation high intensity sweetener, for the first time at Fi Europe 2026. HTBA will demonstrate how the patented, citrus-derived and Upcycled Certified sweetener complex can help to deliver a cleaner, more sugar-like sweetness experience in reduced-sugar formulations. Alongside citrose, the company will also showcase OptiTaste, its flavonoid-powered taste modulation platform for masking, sweetness enhancement and taste balance.

At the show, visitors are invited to experience HTBA’s taste modulation solutions in practice across four prototype applications:

Strawberry plant-based protein beverage – featuring OptiTaste Mask to tackle the off-notes often associated with plant-based proteins, delivering a cleaner, more balanced flavor profile.
Tropical mango energy drink – putting citrose head-to-head with a conventional sucralose and acesulfame-K system to demonstrate a smoother, more sugar-like sweetness, with less lingering aftertaste.
Pineapple yoghurt – featuring OptiTaste Sweet to bring out sweetness and enhance flavor balance, helping reduce sugar while preserving a satisfying taste experience.

Photo: HTBA