DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences (N&B) has unveiled its new lactase enzyme solution, developed for lactose-free dairy products for formulating a desirable nutritional profile in terms of sugar and fiber content. Danisco Bonlacta is DuPont’s latest North American enzyme, which follows the launch of the supplier’s flagship lactase Nurica, which debuted on the European market in late 2019. The ingredient is developed with the unique capacity to withstand high temperature processing methods.

“In terms of positioning, being a thermophilic type of lactase enables Bonlacta to be used at high temperatures. This is a feature that currently cannot be explored, because of the thermolability of most of the lactases that you may find on the market that are suitable for fresh dairy markets. It also thrives in lactose concentrations that are below 3.5 percent, like applications wher the milk is pre-filtered before treatment with the lactase,” Clementina Dellomonaco, Global Product Manager Dairy Enzymes at DuPont N&B tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Bonlacta is marketed as a highly pure Llactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus thermophilic neutral lactase. The production host is deficient of arylsulfatase, a side activity responsible for off-flavors.

The ingredient’s potential was discussed in a new Innova Market Insights-led webinar, wher Lu Ann Williams, Director of Insights and Innovation, further shares how the market researcher’s Top Ten Trends for 2020 are working synergistically with themes around reformulation driven by the lactose-free demand and other health drivers.

“One thing that’s happening is around the Storytelling: Winning with Words [crowned the Top Trend for 2020]. Consumers are absolutely captivated about the stories that are behind their products and transparency about the production process is a very important part of that. We know consumers care about wher the ingredients come from, but also about how the products are made. That is certainly a trend that aligns very well with the lactose-free dairy trend,” says Williams.

Withstanding high temperature while delivering functionality
DuPont N&B outlines the following target segments for Danisco Bonlacta as: consumers of fresh, frozen and ambient dairy (neutral dairy and fresh fermented); current and potential players in the no-/low-/reduced lactose space; and consumers who accept GM technology.

The new ingredient offers fast lactose hydrolysis with potential to reach lactose-free in ten minutes at higher temperature, and is touted by its manufacturer as the only lactase on the market to resist high-temperature-short-time (HTST) applications.

Lactose is a disaccharide of glucose and galactose with a glycosidic bond between them. During this hydrolysis with a lactase, this bond is broken and lactose is cleaved into its constituent monosaccharides. “Bolacta is what we may call a traditional type of lactase wher the hydrophilic activity wins over the glycosidic one,” explains Dellomonaco.

Fiber in focus
There is currently prominent consumer interest and discussion surrounding the perception of macronutrients. “There is a lot of focus around the macronutrients of sugar and fiber. I think fiber is an interesting one. Ten years ago, we talked a lot about fiber. Digestive health was a big driver of this. Then we heard a bit less about it, but really in the past five years fiber is back in focus. Most consumers around the world do not eat enough fiber, so this is a really important nutrient now that we see increased interest in the next few years,” Williams explains.

She also underscores the prominence of the “A Star is Born” Top Trend. “This is looking at what becomes a hero ingredient. Consumers need to be familiar and accept the ingredient if you’re going to make it mainstream. At the beginning of my career 25 years ago, there was a lot of new research coming out around prebiotics, and now it’s starting to enter into the mainstream. Probiotics have been a massive hit. Over the past years, we’ve seen a resurgence in interest in probiotics, and now we’re seeing a lot of interest in prebiotic dietary fibers as well.”

According to Innova Market Insights data, 15 percent of US consumers aged 18 to 25 followed a lactose-free diet in the past year. Meanwhile, 38 percent of US consumers aged 26 to 35 followed the same trend, with the consumption pattern dipping slightly in consumers aged 36 to 45, at 27 percent.

Returning to the Danisco Bonlacta launch, Dellomonaco remarks: “It is great to show the portfolio of DuPont N&B in the context of lactase and what can we do in relation to both the trends and the needs of the manufacturers. “It is really meant for all lactose-based dairy products. So we’re looking at categories that span fresh to frozen and ambient dairy as a new trend. Of course, we are looking at neutral dairies as well as fresh fermented.”

“We believe that customers who do have a product offering in zero-lactose or reduced lactose will have an interest in discovering how they can take advantage of this new product. Of course, there should be some type of general acceptance in terms of the properties of the enzyme, but this is just a native protein sequence that we expressed in one of our host platforms,” she concludes.