Arla Foods, Novozymes partner to develop protein ingredients through precision fermentation

DENMARK – Novozymes, a global biotechnology company has announced a new partnership with Arla Foods a multinational nutrition company, to develop advanced protein ingredients using precision fermentation.

According to the biotech company, the co-funded partnership with Arla Foods will contribute to 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 Ingredients’ food technology know-how in particular in relation to separation and drying processes and its knowledge of the regulatory landscape.

“This partnership brings together two market leaders in our respective areas. Collaborating with Novozymes fits perfectly with our ambition to explore alternative nutrition platforms and complement our portfolio of dairy and whey solutions,” said Henrik Andersen, group vice president of Arla Foods Ingredients

“By leveraging our combined expertise, manufacturing skills and market insights, we’ll be able to accelerate the pace at which we bring innovative new protein products to market.”

Valerio Nannini, General Manager of Novozymes, highlighted that the partnership will enable the company to harness its full potential in the precision fermentation operations that allow it to almost work out everything.

“In our ambition to develop new tailor-made products Arla Foods Ingredients is the best possible partner for us,” he noted.

“It’s already firmly positioned in medical nutrition and offers substantial insight into market needs, as well as specific manufacturing capabilities that complement ours.”

Valerio added that engaging in the partnership demonstrates the company’s huge progress through the company’s decision to enter the health and nutrition space.

Precision fermentation is a technique that fine-tunes the molecular output of microorganisms, offering control over the fermentation process and enabling tailor-made protein compositions, according to the company.

According to Arla Foods Ingredients’ Henrik Andersen, Precision nutrition is a hugely exciting technology because of the opportunities it offers for ‘designer-made’ proteins.

 “While the primary focus of this collaboration is medical nutrition, we do anticipate possible expansion into other segments in the future,” he said.

However, significant regulatory barriers preclude the development of the precision fermentation sector outside several key markets, including Singapore and the US.

In Europe for example, stringent regulations around so-called novel foods mean that it could take years for precision fermentation-derived ingredients to be given the green light by regulators.

As a result, some companies have joined forces with advocacy organizations such as Food Fermentation Europe to seek change

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