Novozymes and Arla Foods Ingredients join forces to harness power of precision fermentation

Novozymes and Arla Foods Ingredients have agreed a partnership to develop advanced protein ingredients using precision fermentation.

Biotechnology company Novozymes is a leading light in precision fermentation, a technique that fine-tunes the molecular output of microorganisms, offering greater control over the fermentation process and enabling tailor-made protein compositions. Specializing in the production of enzymes through precision fermentation, it has focused on the exploration of new protein solutions for health and nutrition since 2019.

In the co-funded partnership with nutrition leader Arla Foods Ingredients, it 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 Ingredients’ food technology knowhow – in particular in relation to separation and drying processes – and its knowledge of the regulatory landscape.

The initial focus of the collaboration will be a solution for disease-specific medical nutrition – a category in which protein is an essential component – with expansion into other segments anticipated in future.

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

“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," added Valerio Nannini, General Manager, Novozymes Advanced Protein Solutions. "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.”

Arla Foods is an international dairy company owned by more than 8,400 farmers from Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Arla Foods is one of the leading players in the international dairy arena with well-known brands like Arla, Lurpak, Puck and Castello. Arla Foods is focused on providing good dairy nourishment from sustainable farming and operations and is also the world’s largest manufacturer of organic dairy products.