Novozymes raises bar for texture and shelf life in baked goods

02 May 2023 --- The latest baking product from Novozymes, Novamyl BestBite, is putting texture at the forefront of baking while delivering significant improvements in freshness by improving shelf life and lowering food waste.

The company’s Novamyl range and its toolbox of freshness solutions are targeting food waste, a key concern across industry.

According to Novozymes, since 1990, the use of Novamyl in baking has saved more than 80 billion loaves of bread from being thrown away. 

Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Adam Diggle, business unit director for Baking at Novozymes, says around one-third of food is wasted according to the United Nations, which is also the case for baked goods. 

“Novamyl BestBite offers the opportunity to create a unique and superior eating experience for consumers, and at the same time extends the shelf life of baked goods.”

“In a recent consumer survey, over 60% of customers mentioned that they wanted to reduce their food waste while we have seen a significant increase of product launches in bakery claiming carbon neutrality and more than 70% of consumers checking for sustainable packaging.”

The company’s Novamyl range and its toolbox of freshness solutions are targeting food waste.Food waste in baking is particularly a challenge in more developing markets, where consumers are less focused on using or reusing the entire loaf of bread before staling and in the end mold growth.

Diggle estimates that roughly 20-30% of the breads produced are not consumed. “It’s definitely an area where food waste can be reduced, either at a bakery and or at a consumer level.”

In times where consumers have less money to spend, consumers value being able to reduce food waste to reduce the spending on food and at the same time have a positive impact on the planet. This is also in line with Innova Market Insights’ top Trend for 2023, Redefining Value. 

The texture opportunity was discovered at Novozymes three years ago, and since then the company has been screening and developing the biosolution Novamyl BestBite. 

According to Diggle, Novamyl BestBite is a “robust solution that is easy to apply in formulations and recipes, has no negative effects on the dough properties, and allows for effortless dosing.”

“As part of developing Novamyl BestBite, we ensure that the stability and shelf life correspond to the conditions and how the product will be applied throughout the value chain,” he adds. 

“There is also an opportunity to lower recipe costs, particularly in sugar rich recipes. An improvement to the existing Novamyl range, is that Novamyl BestBite also works in lower pH dough conditions.”

A no-compromise solution 
Novamyl BestBite is a highly versatile biosolution suitable for a wide range of applications. From rich recipes like brioche, burger buns, rye bread, sandwich, or rolls depending on the eating experience consumers prefer. 

“Some consumers would prefer the fresher than fresh experience right after baking, particular for on-the-go and craft baked goods. Whereas others would value the unique benefit of getting superior softness without sacrificing the resilient texture,” Diggle comments. 

“Furthermore, the resilient texture can improve the sliceability of baked goods, which is a challenge today at many bakeries. Another area is baked goods with a lower-pH dough, examples could be recipes with sourdough such as rye bread, or in doughs where the pH is lowered to prolong the period without mold. “

Novamyl BestBite enhances the characteristics of its predecessors but with a much stronger focus on fresh texture and the optimization of recipes, allowing producers to reduce the dependency on added sugars in their products. It creates a baked good that is fresher than fresh and increases the shelf life of the product without compromising the eating experience for the consumer.

“We are very pleased to announce the launch of Novamyl BestBite and to welcome all the new capabilities it brings,” adds Diggle.

“With each addition to the Novamyl family, we address a concern or demand in the market while continuing to combat food waste. Keeping baked products fresh and on the shelf is not enough. By focusing on texture and maintaining a soft, fluffy and resilient eating experience throughout shelf life, we have been able to target a new area in the market,” he notes. 

Novamyl BestBite uses a “game-changing” biosolution that lifts the entire eating experience, Diggle underscores. 

“In terms of texture, this means a perfectly balanced bite that is soft yet resilient, matching what consumers prefer. Obtaining superior softness and moistness without compromising on resilient bread crumbs has been a challenge. But Novamyl BestBite allows you to achieve a great balance without compromises. We call it ‘a soft yet resilient bite,’” he explains. Novamyl BestBite enables a good taste great without compromise.

Tapping into taste and texture 
Diggle says that consumers use all five senses when choosing foods, with the majority naming taste and texture as the most influential components. 

“With Novamyl BestBite, we have prolonged the natural texture in baked goods, making products remain fresher for much longer. Consumers liked bread that was 15 days old as much as day one.”

Keeping bread fresher for longer
By keeping products on the shelf longer and maintaining their attractiveness to consumers, Novozymes actively contributes to combating food waste. Increasing the shelf life of baked goods also means reducing the impact of all the processes involved in baking, including crop production, processing of grains, baking process, packaging, and transportation. 

With the addition of Novamyl BestBite, Novozymes is positioned to reduce food waste while improving the consumer’s eating experience.

“Ultimately, our goal is sustainability and positively impacting the climate by reducing food waste in baking. Our Novamyl solutions have already proven themselves in this context, and with Novamyl BestBite, we can lift the eating experience while staying true to this mission,” concludes Diggle. 

Edited by Elizabeth Green