NFL Alumni Association and Oobli Partner on Sweet Protein Education Initiative

The National Football League Alumni Association and Oobli, a maker of non-GMO sweet protein ingredients, have announced a partnership intended to introduce consumers to sweet proteins as an alternative to added sugar.¹ The announcement, made September 8, 2026, coincides with the start of the 2026 NFL season.

What Did the Companies Announce?

At the center of the collaboration is Oobli Inside, a consumer-facing labeling platform designed to help shoppers identify food and beverage products formulated with Oobli's sweet protein ingredients. Under the partnership, Oobli and the NFL Alumni Association plan to run joint education initiatives at youth football camps, community events, Hall of Fame programming, and the Association's Super Week activities leading up to the 2027 Big Game in Los Angeles. The companies frame the collaboration around shared messaging on Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic disease, positioning sweet proteins as a tool for consumers seeking to reduce sugar intake without changing the foods and beverages they choose.

Brad Edwards, CEO of the NFL Alumni Association, explained how the organization views Oobli as an innovation partner in introducing players, families, and fans, to ways to continue enjoying familiar foods while addressing health considerations. "The National Football League Alumni Association is committed to helping people live healthier, more active lives," he stated. "Oobli represents exactly the kind of innovation partner we want to introduce to our players, families, and fans. The Oobli Inside initiative will give families another great way to enjoy the foods they already love while looking out for their health. That's a mission our Alumni are proud to stand behind, and we believe this partnership could make a meaningful difference in the health of millions of Americans."

Oobli CEO Ali Wing said the partnership allows the company to introduce sweet proteins to consumers through an established and trusted organization, and shared more on the significance of the Oobli Inside label. "At Oobli, we believe people shouldn't have to choose between health and taste," stated Wing. "Partnering with the National Football League Alumni Association lets us introduce Americans to the health benefits of sweet proteins through a trusted voice they know and respect. Oobli Inside will make it easier for consumers to recognize products made with our breakthrough ingredient and make healthier everyday choices for them and their families."

How Do Sweet Proteins Work?

Sweet proteins are large-molecule compounds originally identified in fruits and berries near the equator; unlike small-molecule sweeteners, they are described as engaging sweet taste receptors before being digested as proteins rather than metabolized as carbohydrates.^1,2 In an August 2026 interview with Nutritional Outlook, Wing described this mechanism in more technical terms, noting a delayed sweetness onset relative to traditional sweeteners, compatibility with functional beverage matrices containing caffeine, taurine, and B vitamins, and dual FDA GRAS and FEMA GRAS designations that give manufacturers flexibility in how the ingredient is declared on labels. Wing also pointed to potential applications in electrolyte beverages, functional gummies, and metabolic health products, and cited fermentation-based production for sweet proteins as requiring substantially less land and water than sugarcane cultivation.

How Does This Fit With Prior Coverage of the Sweetener Category?

The July 2026 Nutritional Outlook feature on innovation in the sweetener category placed Oobli within a wider set of new entrants responding to consumer sugar-reduction trends.³ The article cited 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey data indicating that three in four Americans report trying to limit or avoid sugar in their diets, with 63% of that group specifically targeting added sugars, and noted that "low in sugar" remains among the top criteria Americans use to judge whether a food is healthy.

References

1. Oobli. National Football League Alumni Association and Oobli team up to introduce sweet proteins in a shared mission for healthier families and communities. September 8, 2026. Accessed September 8, 2026.
2. Wing A, McEvoy E. Sweet without sugar: Ali Wing on Oobli's protein-based approach to sweetness. Nutritional Outlook. August 12, 2026. Accessed September 8, 2026. https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/sweet-without-sugar-ali-wing-ooblis-protein-based-sweetness
3. McEvoy E. Innovation is always welcome in the sweetener category. Nutritional Outlook. July 30, 2026. Accessed September 8, 2026. https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/innovation-is-always-welcome-in-the-sweetener-category