Glycyrrhizicacid is the active ingredient of licorice sweetness and a very promising pure natural sweetener. Its sweetness is about 80-300 times that of sucrose, low in calories, safe and without toxic side effects Ideal sweetener for blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, heart disease patients. In the European Union, glycyrrhizin is used as a sweetener and can be used in food as a flavouring agent, and must be listed as "spices" in the ingredient list.

Glycyrrhizin has been used in medicine for many years, but its use in food is not yet common. To this end, British natural ingredient supplier ThewArnott plans to expand its application in the food industry. Its recently launched Ceromag is made from glycyrrhizin.

It is understood that ThewArnott imports licorice from China and extracts active ingredients from licorice roots. The extract, which has no product number, is soluble in ammonia and insoluble in glacial acetic acid, the company said. Nick Newman, the company's sales representative, said glycyrrhizin has been used in the pharmaceutical industry for 15 years, and while it is also used in the food industry, it is less common.

The supplier's main goal is to reduce the amount of sugar in food and beverages, in addition to acting as a masking agent to remove bitter aftertastes, such as when applied to Seville jams, to mask the natural bitterness of oranges. What's more, glycyrrhizin can be used at high temperatures, making it an ideal ingredient for low-sugar products such as jams.

It is important to note that studies have found that glycyrrhizin has negative effects on the health of children, pregnant women, and unborn babies. As earlier in 2017, Finnish researchers published a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, which noted that excessive use of glycyrrhizin can cause long-term damage to children's memory and intelligence.

Nick Newman said the above study focused on natural licorice, a component of glycyrrhizin, like gluten in grains and lactose in dairy products, that some people cannot absorb and utilize. But the Ceromag it offers has been assessed by the EFSA and certified as a safe ingredient. However, he added that if more than 4 g/kg of glycyrrhizin is used in a licorice product, the product label must state "contains licorice - use with caution in patients with high blood pressure".