FDBusiness.com

Novozymes has launched Saphera, a lactase enzyme that the company claims sets a new standard for production and quality of a wide range of lactose-free products, including milk and fermented dairy products such as yogurt. Originated from Bifidobacterium bifidum, Saphera is said to differ considerably from traditional lactases made from yeast, and to be the first, major innovation in this growing industry for years.

With Saphera, Novozymes says that the desired lactose level can be more precisely measured and easily reached. This, it says, is because fewer oligosaccharides – carbohydrates – are formed during the reaction compared to yeast lactases, particularly when producing 0.01% lactose-free milk.

“Saphera works at lower pH and higher temperature than other lactases and is therefore not only suitable for production of lactose-free milk and other products, but also for fermented dairy products,” said Simon Lyndegaard, Director, Food Platforms & Strategic Development. “It works extremely well in yogurt production – better than conventional yeast-based lactases. In addition, the lack of invertase and other critical side activities makes Saphera a great solution in sweetened dairy products, maintaining physical and organoleptic properties during shelf life better than any other product on the market.”

Saphera converts lactose in dairy to galactose and glucose. This, says Novozymes, enables the dairy producer to reduce the amount of added sugars and still achieve the same degree of sweetness in lactose-free dairy products – offering the dairy producer the opportunity for more attractive product labels with claims of reduced added sugar.