Novozymes is launching Saphera – a lactase enzyme 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 differs considerably from traditional lactases made from yeast.
With Saphera, the desired lactose level can be more precisely measured and easily reached. This is because less oligosaccharides – carbohydrates – are formed during the reaction compared to yeast lactases, particularly when producing 0.01% lactose-free milk.
Saphera converts lactose in dairy to galactose and glucose. This enables the dairy producer to reduce the amount of added sugars and still achieve the same degree of sweetness in lactose-free dairy products. This offers the dairy producer the opportunity for more attractive product labels with claims of reduced added sugar.