The company has also seen growth in the number of discussions with major potential partners for manufacture and distribution. The tagatose maker will next try for regulatory approval in Europe, Japan and Asia following the safety evaluation of the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives, scheduled for June.

Tagatose was generally recognized as safe by an expert panel on April 11. According to Arla Foods, tagatose is “a naturally occurring, multi-purpose, low-calorie, full-bulk sweetener derived from lactose. It is non-cariogenic and has prebiotic properties.”