Novozymes is the world leader in biological solutions, producing a wide range of enzymes, microorganisms, and technical and digital solutions which help its customers produce more from less. Its two divisions – Consumer Biosolutions and Agriculture and Industrial Biosolutions enable a more integrated approach toward end markets, defined by common characteristics and value drivers.

Krishna Mohan Puvvada, regional president and business director, consumer biosolutions India, Novozymes, says, “Consumer Biosolutions unites consumer-facing industries at the forefront of the value chain, covering Household care, Baking, Dairy, Beverages, Protein, and Food. Our focus is to constantly improve products for end consumption - making them healthier with superior benefits, based on clear consumer needs.”

Finding safe and innovative answers to some of the planet’s most pressing challenges

Puvvada says that what sets Novozymes apart is its strong focus on innovation. The company invests 13% of its net sales in research every year. He explains, “Novozymes’ research and business are based on bio-innovation, and through these technologies, we find safe and innovative answers to some of the planet’s most pressing challenges, such as carbon capture, sustainable food systems, or replacing chemicals with biodegradable solutions.”

He further informs us that Novozymes’ solutions contribute directly or indirectly to several of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs represent both responsibilities and opportunities for Novozymes. They have been an integral part of how the company drives its business, innovates, runs its operations, and works with its employees and the communities it is part of.

Talking about the company’s work in India, he says, “From an Indian context, over the years, Novozymes’ has invested in establishing a strong local presence with world-class labs and highly skilled application scientists who are constantly finding ways to introduce innovative technologies to our customers. For example, fiber and protein enrichment in dairy, plant-based alternatives (like Oat based beverage), chemical-free bread and extra soft bread (2X softer).”

Evolving trends in the F&B market

Puvvada believes that the majority of consumer trends emanate from demographic changes - the new consumers (Gen Z) are adopting innovations faster; at the same time, they are conscious of their eating preferences. We are no longer in an era of avoiding labels and production processes.

Sharing his opinion further, he says, “Consumers are proactively seeking food and beverage brands which promote convenience, health, sustainability, and holistic nutrition, for example through fortification. According to a recent survey conducted by Novozymes, a staggering 91% of Indians said that textual or visual claims regarding health benefits on product packets would make them more likely to purchase a food item.”

He added that it is very likely that food producers and manufacturers will capitalize on this evolving trend. “Using the right combination of various ingredients and techniques, they will be able to come up with unique propositions to satisfy health-conscious consumers without compromising on decadence,” he comments.

At Fi India & Hi

With a legacy of 15 years, Food ingredients India & Health ingredients (Fi India & Hi) is the most comprehensive B2B show in the Indian sub-continent for the food, health ingredients, processing, and packaging industry. The objective for this year’s Fi India is to offer a comprehensive showcase of ingredients and help leverage India’s wide-ranging and large raw material base for food processing industries. Novozymes participated in this event held in Bangalore, India this year.

Talking about what the team is displaying at the event, Puvvada says, “At Novozymes, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, therefore, we believe that sustainability means adding economic, environmental, and social value. This is the value that we have brought to the Fi India & Hi event this year.”

Novozymes’ solutions help improve food quality, taste, texture, and freshness – thereby reducing food waste, the use of additives, and making plant-based alternatives more palatable among other applications across various F&B segments. He adds, “A good example of this is our solution in baking which helps keep bread softer, moister, and fresher for longer, thus supporting efficient and sustainable operations through lower product returns and thereby putting more food in the hands of the society.”

Sharing his views on how such events help them achieve their business goals, he says, “Fi India & Hi is an important platform that sees an annual participation of 8000+ delegates and 200+ exhibitors. This platform provides us an opportunity to network and display some of our best concepts and also work together with the best in the industry of food and health ingredients. Fi India & Hi provides an opportunity to collaborate with some of the peers in the industry to co-create differentiated solutions for the consumers.”

Expectations from the trade show

The Novozymes team is exhibiting at Fi India & Hi. Speaking about the exhibition, Puvvada says, “As leaders in the bio-innovation space, we look forward to unwrapping the world of biotechnology to our consumers through this event. In order to enable convenient - well-rounded solutions for consumers, we are always on a lookout to collaborate with like-minded partners helping faster adoption of biosolutions.”

He went on to say, “With the rapidly evolving F&B market in India, the emerging trends of convenience, indulgence, health, and wellness, and the rising challenge of cost resilience, we can innovate closely with industry leaders to create pioneering products that can help them up the stay ahead of the curve.”

Expansion and future plans

Novozymes sees a lot of potential in the functional food and human health space. Talking about the company’s investments in this area, he says, " Our recent investments in probiotics with PrecisionBiotics, Microbiome Labs, and Synergia Life Sciences has helped us propel our plans to strengthen our human health business and accelerate our functional food offerings. Similarly, we are investing in advanced protein solutions. We see a trend that concerns environmental issues and a desire for healthier lifestyles is driving interest in plant-based alternatives.”

He added that advances in biotechnology for precision fermentation, for example, are enabling tailor-made enzymes which maximize the extraction of protein, enhancing taste and texture, as well as advanced proteins ultimately resulting in desirable, cost-competitive, plant-bas,ed and animal-free nutrients.

Novozymes can play a key role in enabling a transition to a more diversified protein supply with alternative proteins. This includes enzymes that enable the next generation of plant-based alternatives, as well as high-value fermentation-based proteins.

“We continue to focus on sustainability and expansion into the food industry using a gamut of our solutions including enzymes, microbes, probiotics,” he concludes.

Fi India & Hi is taking place in Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru, Karnataka from 21 to 23 September. Meet Novozymes' team of experts at Booth No H 78, Hall No 4 to know more about their innovative products.