Partnership to develop advanced protein ingredients

Novozymes and Arla Foods Ingredients have partnered to develop advanced protein ingredients using precision fermentation.

Novozymes specialises in producing enzymes through precision fermentation, a technique that fine-tunes the molecular output of microorganisms, to provide greater control over the fermentation process and enabling tailor-made protein compositions. The company has focused on the exploration of new protein solutions for health and nutrition since 2019.

In partnership with Arla Foods Ingredients, Novozymes will contribute its expertise in the creation of microbial strains for the industrial-scale production of proteins by precision fermentation. This will be combined with Arla Foods’ knowledge of separation and drying processes as well as its knowledge of the regulatory landscape.

The initial focus of the collaboration will be finding a solution for disease-specific medical nutrition with expansion into other segments anticipated in future.

Henrik Anderson, Arla Foods Ingredients Group Vice President, said the collaboration will allow Arla Foods to explore alternative nutrition platforms to complement its platform of dairy and whey solutions. By leveraging combined expertise, manufacturing skills and market insights, the companies will be able to accelerate the pace at which new protein products are brought to market.

Valerio Nannini, Novozymes Advanced Protein Solutions General Manager, said, “Precision fermentation allows us to do almost anything in terms of protein composition and structure, and this is a fantastic opportunity to harness its full potential. In our ambition to develop new tailor-made products Arla Foods Ingredients is the best possible partner for us. It’s already firmly positioned in medical nutrition and offers substantial insight into market needs, as well as specific manufacturing capabilities that complement ours. Entering a partnership like this demonstrates the huge progress we’ve made since our decision to enter the health and nutrition space.”