- Biosolutions are biology‑based ingredients replacing synthetic alternatives
- Consumers recognise biology more easily, responding positively to cultures and enzymes
- Novonesis’ ingredients form small percentages yet play crucial formulation roles
- High‑protein growth drives demand for cultures supporting global megatrend shifts
- Regulatory inconsistency challenges biotech players, increasing Novonesis’ education efforts
What’s a biosolution? That was this author’s first thought when two Danish ingredient powerhouses, Chr Hansen and Novozymes, merged to become a €3.7bn “biosolutions” giant in 2024.
Two years on from the birth of Novonesis, and we’ve made some ground in understanding what gives the company’s ingredients that classification. Novonesis, too, has been working to educate consumers, explains newcomer Andrew Taylor, EVP of food and beverage for the ingredients major.
But in the same breath, Taylor, who recently stepped down as chief commercial officer at British ingredients maker Tate & Lyle, says consumer understanding isn’t the be-all-and-end-all in a B2B world.
What matters is whether Novonesis can tackle industry’s biggest challenges, meet demand for incoming food and drink megatrends, and inspire its customers with its biosolutions portfolio.
The supplier’s F&B chief says it can.
So, what is a ‘biosolution’? Here’s what it’s not
At a recent industry event, Novonesis’ marketing material was noticeably free from the term “biosolutions”. Catching up in a meeting room on-site, Taylor says where appropriate, the company swaps the word out for another, more identifiable one: biology.
“Consumers understand biology,” he explains. Biology, like a biosolution, is natural. And in that way, it’s almost easier to explain what biosolutions are by what they’re not: synthetic.
Overall, when consumers hear about “biology”, and then what that means for Novonesis – whether that be cultures, enzymes or yeast – they respond positively. “Cultures are widely understood. Enzymes a bit less, but people still recognise them as natural”.
But actually, of all the components on a product’s ingredients list, those made by Novonesis rarely take the spotlight. Novonesis’ input accounts for 1-3% of total ingredients, at most up to 5%. Sometimes, as processing aids, they’re not on the label at all.
So if consumer awareness is low, that’s ok. It doesn’t mean that Novonesis’ ingredients matter less, nor that they don’t play an integral role in food formulation. They do, Taylor explains.
The biggest food trend of 2026 - and how it links to biology
How Novonesis’ offerings play into industry megatrends is a big one.
We’ve spent a lot of time weighing up the biggest trends of the coming year, from fibre to longevity through to cost-cutting ingredients. With all bets now in, the odds are protein will outdo them all. And that’s what Taylor’s predicting too.
“High protein is everywhere,” he says. “Forty percent of US yoghurt is already high protein, and it keeps growing – across Europe and into Asia, it’s in snacks, cereals, and even confectionery. This trend has real legs."
Novonesis would know. Dairy, and yoghurt in particular, is a major application case for its cultures.
“Are parts of it overdone? Sure,” he says with a smile. We’ve both seen samples of high-protein fast food – from crisps to pizza and more – on the trade-show floor. “But the broader push to eat more protein isn’t going away.”
And that’s good news for the Danish biosolutions powerhouse, on average. There are “winners and losers” on a category basis, he explains. Traditional pan white bread is losing favour, particularly with the rise of GLP-1 drugs for weight management. “That works against us,” he reveals. But on the other hand, the rise of high-protein is an obvious win.
To make yoghurt, a brand needs milk, cultures, and often a little sucrose. They’ll then have the option of adding fruit preparations, stabilisers and starches. “A lot of what our cultures enable you to do is cut things out,” he explains. “What we make generally helps simplify the label.”
Clean label is easy, regulation is hard
When working with natural ingredients, being “clean label” is easy. Or at least, easier than synthetic alternatives.
But for Novonesis, like all global ingredient players, other challenges remain. Affordability, tariffs, and general macroeconomic uncertainty are just a few facing the sector.
The Danish ingredients company encounters these same hurdles, as do its customers. When that happens, they often find themselves needing to reformulate products – a boon for Novonesis when food players swap out synthetic ingredients for natural alternatives.
The real challenge for Novonesis lies in regulation. “The regulatory environment for biotechnology is in flux,” explains Taylor. “It’s easier in some places, harder in others, and wildly inconsistent.”
That means Novonesis has to work harder to get its messaging across. Whether dealing with authorities in the EU, UK, US or specific countries like Brazil, Taylor has learnt that most regulators are new to the biotech game. And once again, that education piece returns.
“A lot of our work is educating regulators on what biosolutions actually are,” Taylor says.
And that education, we suspect, is unlikely to end any time soon.