Manus has developed an advanced fermentation process for the sustainable production of the zero-calorie stevia sweetener Rebaudioside M (Reb M) at >95% purity. The steviol glycoside Reb M exhibits a far superior taste profile over current stevia sweeteners on the market today (stevioside and Reb A). However, its scarcity in the stevia plant (at less than 0.01% of leaf extracts) makes it impossible to source economically through plant extraction. Manus’s fermentation process addresses this problem by granting access to this rare high-performing sweetener through a process that is efficient, low-cost, and scalable, thus making it commercially viable for the food and beverage markets. In addition, the high purity and solubility of Manus’s product enables complete replacement of sugar in beverage formulations (zero-calorie) without the off-tastes typically associated with inferior steviol glycoside contaminants and other artificial sweeteners. Manus’s CEO, Ajikumar Parayil, commented, “High purity Reb M has long represented the ‘Holy Grail’ of non-caloric high intensity natural sweeteners, and we are looking forward to working with food and beverage manufacturers to bring this important product to market.”