Novonesis was born less than a year ago from a merger between Novozymes and Chr. Hansen.
The company specialises in ‘biosolutions’, essentially biological products used for functionality.
In food and beverage, these products have wide-ranging applications, meaning that the business’s investments often reflect broader sector trends.
The health trend
The healthy eating trend has ramped up significantly in recent times, leading manufacturers to focus on it with renewed vigour.
“We’re seeing a significant emphasis on health, nutritional value, and sustainability. Our biosolutions are tailored to meet these evolving demands, aligning with the increasing expectations for healthier and more sustainable products,” said Johan Weimann, regional president for Europe in SVP food and beverage solutions Europe at Novonesis.
Functional food is another area of focus. “We’re seeing a rising preference for protein-rich products, which our dairy and plant-based business areas can effectively meet. Additionally, there is a growing interest in functional ingredients, such as collagen, for which we can provide ingredients to the production of.”
The company is also investing in functional ingredients that have probiotic benefits, another key element of the health trend.
Lastly, a key facet that is already shaping the market, and has the potential to completely revolutionise it, is GLP-1 weight-loss medication.
“There are various opportunities for biosolutions to address these opportunities, and we are exploring different concepts,” Weimann says.
“As is standard practice in our Human Health and functional foods business area, it is critical that such concepts are scientifically backed, which consumers and customers rightfully expect from us.”
Improving taste and texture in plant-based
One of the key roles of Novonesis’ ingredients is improving taste and texture. While consumers care more about taste than texture, Weimann told us, both are key.
The company is investing in ingredients that fulfil this purpose, such as microbial lipases isolated from fungi that can accelerate flavour development in cheese, and a solution which helps improve the texture of bakery products.
Taste and texture are particularly important in the realm of plant-based alternatives. Taste and texture, suggested Weimann, is one of the main reasons for the downturn in interest in the plant-based category. Improving these aspects is key if meat alternatives are to regain traction.
“We are using our combination of cultures and enzymes to improve the taste and texture of plant-based meat alternatives,” he told us.
He also sees the potential of plant-based proteins within more products than just meat and dairy analogues, such as the high-protein functional foods mentioned above.
In the end, Novonesis’ ingredients are about functionality. “Producers are challenged in regard to functionality, such as taste, texture, or solubility of plant proteins,” he told us.
“We believe biosolutions will play a critical role in overcoming these challenges and therefore continue to invest in this area.”
