Novonesis showcases bioscience-driven innovations at Fi India 2025

Novonesis, a global leader in biotechnology solutions, highlighted its latest innovations for the food and beverage industry during Fi India 2025, held from 3 to 5 September at IEML, Greater Noida. Speaking at the event, Mr Anurag Chadha, Director – Food & Beverage Biosolutions, South Asia, shared the company’s vision, product innovations, and strategic approach to building a healthier and more sustainable food ecosystem.

A century-old legacy with a new identity

“Novonesis is a one-and-a-half-year-old company with a hundred-year-old tradition behind it,” began Mr Chadha, highlighting the company’s rich heritage. Formed through a statutory merger of two Danish biotech powerhouses—Chr. Hansen, known for bacterial cultures, and Novozymes, pioneers in enzymes—Novonesis emerged as a global leader in biosciences.

“Both companies have been in business for more than 100 years... When they came together, Novonesis became a powerhouse of biotechnology,” said Mr Chadha. “We focus only on biotechnology and biosciences. That makes us unique in the industry today.”

Tackling fat reduction in bakery products

One of the striking innovations shared by Mr Chadha was a 20% fat reduction in cakes and biscuits, achieved without compromising texture or taste.

“Fats perform specific functions in the food matrix. We asked: can some of those functions be replicated by enzymes? We found that yes: they can,” he explained.

The breakthrough came from enzyme solutions developed and commercialized in India. By using protease- and lipase-based enzymes, Novonesis was able to partially replace fat in cookies, maintaining the taste and texture while reducing waste.

Recipe optimization amid rising costs

In a time of soaring raw material prices, Novonesis is enabling manufacturers to optimize their recipes without sacrificing quality.

“In dairy, we help producers get more from the same milk. For example, in mozzarella cheese, our enzymatic solutions can increase yield by 1%. That 1% is significant,” Mr Chadha noted.

In the brewing industry, their solutions enable brewers to substitute barley with more affordable grains like rice, wheat, or sorghum—without affecting the taste or alcohol content. In bakery, their enzymatic innovations help reduce preservatives, extend shelf life, and streamline the value chain.

Enhancing texture and reducing waste in crackers

Crackers, a rapidly growing category in the bakery and biscuits segment, pose unique challenges due to their thinness—often just 1 to 1.5 mm—which makes them prone to breakage.

“We developed enzymatic solutions within the biscuits and crackers segment improve stiffness, reduce breakages, and enhance the snap sound—while maintaining softness and taste,” said Mr Chadha.

Supporting protein-enriched and clean-label trends

Mr Chadha emphasized the growing demand for high-protein, low-sugar, and low-fat variants in everyday food products. However, incorporating protein often affects product texture.

“Our enzymes help minimize textural changes in high-protein breads, dairy, and even ready-to-cook batters like idli and dosa,” he noted.

He referenced the rise of Greek yogurt, where Novonesis’ specialized cultures helped keep the texture smooth and appealing.

“Consumers don’t like grainy textures. Our cultures ensured smoothness and shine even with higher protein content.”

On the clean-label front, the company is actively working to replace emulsifiers—common additives in baked goods.

“Through reformulation with enzymes, new baking mixes can be prepared that allow for full or partial elimination of emulsifiers as ingredients.  The goal is to bring bread closer to what it was decades ago, with more natural and with reduced chemical additives.”

Transforming cheese into a functional superfood

Indian consumers’ preferences are shifting from processed cheese to natural cheese, and Novonesis is ahead of the curve.

“Natural cheese will grow fastest in India. Cream cheese, in particular, fits Indian taste preferences,” he explained.

Novonesis is working on fortifying cream cheese creating a product that’s both indulgent and functional.

“Since cheese already offers calcium and protein, fortification enhances its health value.”

Leading the fermented beverage revolution

Fermented beverages like kombucha are gaining traction. Novonesis has developed yeast and bacterial cultures that offer clarity, better texture, and no sedimentation.

“Our journey began with non-alcoholic beer, made through fermentation pathways where alcohol is never produced, so there’s nothing to remove. We have applied similar methods to juices.”

An example he cited was fermented carrot juice, where enzymatic fermentation improves taste and reduces sugar and salt, without compromising on nutritional value.

“The market is still young, but this generation will accelerate demand for such functional beverages.”

What’s next: A glimpse into the future

When asked about upcoming innovations, Mr Chadha presented a bold and diverse roadmap. He highlighted future innovation areas, many of which are already market-ready:

• Brewing: Avoiding yeast propagation to improve consistency.

• Bakery: Higher quality and consistency for flakier products, and accelerated dough lamination; solutions that allow packaged cakes to retain crumb softness, elasticity, moistness, and shape while in storage.

• Seafood: Waste valorization—repurposing 60% of discarded seafood for use in pet food, cosmetics, and food ingredients.

• Probiotics: Expanding beyond gut health into sleep and mental health support.

“We pioneered probiotics for immunity and gut health. Now, research is uncovering benefits for other areas. This will be a major focus going forward.”

Fi India: A platform for innovation and collaboration

Novonesis has been a consistent participant at Fi India, and Mr Chadha expressed his appreciation for the platform. “It’s an excellent forum for food ingredient companies and distributors to showcase technologies,” he said. “It allows customers to see market trends in just a few hours. It fuels innovation pipelines, strengthens customer relationships, and gives us market insights. Overall, it’s a very good investment.”

From enzyme-driven fat reduction to probiotic-enriched cheeses and fermented juices, Novonesis is forging a transformative path in food innovation focused on science, sustainability, and consumer health. Their presence at Fi India 2025 clearly showcased biotechnology's growing role in shaping the future of food.