These Malaysian sisters’ startup Manis Leting produces condensed milk with zero white sugar

Atirah Danial and her younger sister Amirah Jasmine wanted to help their pre-diabetic mother enjoy regular food but were afraid that the products available in the market could worsen her condition. Jasmine, who comes from a culinary background, was determined to find a solution.

The sisters thought over this and came up with the idea of Manis Leting.

Founded in May 2022, Manis Leting (meaning ‘really sweet’ in Bahasa) creates a range of low-calorie products that are both healthy and affordable. The startup makes food products, such as cordials, café syrups, and sweeteners, which are lower in calories but still retain the sweet taste. They are affordable, too.

Also Read: Manis Leting, Triphie win 1337 Ventures’s Alpha Startups pre-accelerator programme in MY

Sweetened condensed milk is its flagship item, which doesn’t use white sugar. Instead, it uses sweeteners such as Stevia to sweeten the product. It is designed by Jasmine, who has years of experience as a low-calorie and is also a food fortification expert.

According to the duo, Manis Leting’s condensed milk is a good alternative to the regular condensed milk in the market, which is 70 per cent sugar.

“We are the world’s first creator of sweetened condensed milk with zero white sugar,” says Danial. “We bring innovations to daily food products to make them healthier, lower in calories and lower in sugar for better health.”

Manis Leting, which has set up its own lab to produce food alternatives, also sells Timi syrup. The company targets café chains, restaurants, bars, and coffee distributors to market and sell Timi.

Having said that, the alt-food startup plans to develop more products, such as sauces, ready-to-drinks, sports drinks and other household products that use high amounts of white sugar.

“We also plan to export our products to neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and the UAE in the future,” shares Danial.

One of the main challenges facing Manis Leting is inflation, which has resulted in the higher price of raw materials. Despite this, the company wants to keep the products affordable for the masses.

There are no competitors for Manis Leting in the market but the duo expects more companies to crop up as their products become a hit.

The startup recently received pre-seed funding of about RM50,000 (US$11,000) as part of the latest Alpha Startups pre-accelerator programme run by 1337 Ventures.

Also Read: Sustained profitability is crucial for long-term success: PolicyStreet CEO

“We will use the funds to get our Halal certifications and other required licenses. We will also invest some capital in operations, patent submission, and marketing,” says Danial.

—

The post These Malaysian sisters’ startup Manis Leting produces condensed milk with zero white sugar appeared first on e27.