Bakery and brewing bolster Novozymes food enzymes

By Jess Halliday

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Local currencies Starch Novozymes

Novozymes has reported sales of DKK435m (€58.35m) for food enzymes
in Q3 2007, during which it launched its long-awaited
acrylamide-reducing enzyme Acrylaway.

In the same quarter of 2006 the Danish company reported food enzyme sales of DKK438m (€58.76m). Although this means it has seen a one per cent dip, in local currencies the firm said it actually saw a two per cent increase in sales in local currencies. Last year's quarter was particularly strong as a result of stockbuilding in the distributor chain for baking enzymes. And over the last nine months, in which food enzymes sales rose seven per cent in local currencies and three per cent in DKK, growth was said to be "mainly due to increased sales of enzymes for the baking and brewing industries". ​ Acrylaway, which is aimed at reducing the formation of acrylamide during the production of baked or fried foods, was the only launch fixture for enzymes in the three month period. The launch is significant as it gives food producers a new tool to combat the problem and reduce concerns about the safety of consumer end-products - but without impacting taste or appearance. Novozymes explained that its technology converts free asparagine into aspartic acid, another animo acid that does not form acrylamide. The nutritional properties are unaffected, and nor are the browning and taste aspects. At the same time, however, competitor DSM also launched an asparaginase enzyme with the same aim, called PreventAse. However the two companies derive their enzyme from different sources: Novozymes is from Aspergillus oryzae​ and DSM's from Aspergillus niger​. In the nine months of the year to date, however, Novozymes has launched a total of nine enzymes, including Acrylaway. The others include Saczyme, for use in beverage alcohol and billed as "cost-effective"​, and Ultraflo Max for the brewing industry, an enzyme said help optimize the production process by allowing long and consistent filtration. Overall, the company said that 26 per cent of its enzyme sales in the first nine months of 2007 were of products launched in the last five years - a figure that bears testament to the direct impact of innovation on commercial success. Food enzymes are just one part of Novozyme's activities. The firm is also involved in detergent, technical and feed enzymes, and microorganisms and biopharmaceutical ingredients. Overall, it reported sales of DKK1,860m (€249.5m) for Q3, compared to DKK1,756m for the same period of 2006. It experienced a three per cent increase in operating profit, to DKK361m. For the nine month period sales were up 11 per cent to DKK5594m (€750.47m), and operating profit was up 14 per cent to DKK1,149m (€154.15m). In light of this, the company is maintaining its outlook for full year 2007, assuming exchange rates for key currencies remain at the same level; that is, operating profit growth of 11 to 13 per cent (five to seven per cent excluding one-off items), and growth in sales in local currencies of 12 to 14 per cent (eight to 10 per cent in DKK).

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