DENMARK – The Danish biological solutions company, Novozymes is launching Saphera Fiber, a new lactase enzyme which enables manufactures to increase the content of fibers while also reducing sugar in fermented and non-fermented dairy products.
According to the ingredient supplier, the new lactase enzyme works by converting lactose contained in the milk into galactooligosaccharides (GOS) fibers without reducing the natural sweetness of dairy products.
Galactooligosaccharides fibers are derived from the lactose in cow’s milk and are often associated with improved digestive health.
Novozymes explains that 45% of the lactose contained in fluid milk is converted into GOS, and 25% is GOS Fiber. In addition, 1.2% GOS fiber is formed in fluid milk allowing fiber claim and 25% sugar reduction.
Emmanuel Michelot, Launch Manager at Novozymes noted the use Saphera Fiber thus enables development of new dairy products with dietary fibers and less sugar.
“Saphera Fiber is a new lactase that has been developed to help dairies bring new innovation to the market, as it enables development of products with nutritional claims,” Michelot explains.
“Being a biological solution, it also makes it possible to manufacture dairy products in a sustainable way with less use of artificial or chemically produced ingredients.”
Open new markets for dairies
A recent study by the company testifies that 59% of consumers are more likely to buy dairy products with higher fiber content, and 38% of them are willing to pay more for a higher content of fiber in their dairy products.
Consumers care about health, and they are willing to pay more for dairy products with nutritional claims, the survey finds.
Emmanuel Michelot says that with Saphera Fiber, “dairies can open the door to new innovation and new markets as it enables them to develop the new type of products consumers are asking for.”
In 2016, Novozymes established an ambitious lactase platform that saw the company launch Saphera as the first solution on the platform.
Novozymes believes that the product was a major innovation within the growing industry of free-from dairy products as it set a new standard for the production and quality of lactose-free products.
With the addition of Saphera Fiber to the portfolio, Michelot says the solution is a new move into this frontier: “It’s a lactase that provides innovation opportunities for brands to combine fiber claims in reduced sugar product formulations.”
According to the survey conducted by Novozymes, taking into account the content of a dairy product, consumers consider increased fiber slightly more important than low sugar.
The study showed that 65% of consumers prefer a yoghurt label claiming more fiber than less sugar, 59% of consumers are more likely to buy dairy products with higher fiber content and 38% of them are willing to pay more for a higher content of fiber in their dairy products.
