Lampados International is completing a new plant expansion for the production of Liteez, a vegan, egg-free 3D meringue kiss sweetener for hot drinks. It is hoped that the larger facility will allow the company to meet the rapidly growing demand.

According to Lampados, the facility will produce 8,000 retail packages per day in the first stage, and will double production within a few months. The company invested over US$500,000 to increase production of the sweetener, which is available as either a stevia- or sucralose-based product.

The plant is BRC- and kosher-certificated to meet food manufactures, retailers, and consumers highest standards of requirement.

Noam Kaplan, CEO of Lampados, says, "Production is now fully automated and modular, to allow maximum flexibility for increasing capacity as well as creating additional, customised sweeteners."

The new Lampados sweetener delivery system, designed like a meringue kiss, is egg-free, and vegan. According to the brand, two Liteez contain only two calories, versus 20 calories in one teaspoon of table sugar. "Put just two meringue kisses in your coffee, stir, and drink. Or, eat them as a sweet treat," says Kaplan.

Non-profit organisation Action on Sugar reportedly analysed 131 hot flavoured drinks, including coffees, mochas, lattes, hot fruit drinks, and hot chocolates, among other drinks that are widely bought from some of the UKs best-known coffee shops and fast-food chains.

According to the group, one third of hot drinks served in high-street chains in the UK contain the same or more sugar than Coca-Cola.

Calling the findings "shocking", a spokesman for Action on Sugar said that 98% of the drinks tested would receive a red nutritional-value label for high sugar content.

Kaplan concludes, "The demand for our 3D sweetener has grown extensively in Australia, India, South Africa, Europe and Central America.

"Most of our clients are seeking to expand their portfolio with innovative sweeteners and/or cookies, and are keen to launch a next-gen sweetener that will give them a competitive edge in the market."