Why Novamyl BestBite keeps sliced bread soft for longer

Reviewed: ad hoc news Software & Services desk. Edited and checked on 2026-06-18, 05:06. Details in the imprint.

Novamyl BestBite from Novonesis is one of those invisible ingredients that decides whether toast in the morning feels pleasantly soft or disappointingly stale. In industrial bakeries the enzyme blend works quietly in the dough, yet its effect shows up loud and clear at breakfast.

How the enzyme changes bread

Novamyl BestBite is designed for packaged bread, from soft sandwich loaves to toast and rolls that need to stay fresh across long supply chains. It is an amylase-type enzyme that acts on starch retrogradation, the key process that makes crumb firm and dry over time.

In practice this means the enzyme modifies starch during baking so that the crumb stays softer and more flexible during storage rather than turning crumbly. Bakers can therefore aim for a pleasant bite on day one and still acceptable softness for consumers several days later.

What bakeries gain in daily use

For industrial bakeries Novamyl BestBite comes as a dosing-friendly ingredient that can be integrated into existing premixes or added via liquid dosing systems. Formulators can tailor the dosage to the desired shelf-life profile without changing the rest of the recipe dramatically.

The product aims to help producers reduce returns and food waste because fewer loaves become unsellably dry before their best-before date. At the same time, it can support a more indulgent eating experience, especially for sliced sandwich bread that consumers expect to remain soft.

Clean-label pressure and reformulation

Many retailers now push their private-label bread suppliers to shorten ingredient lists, for example by cutting emulsifiers or added mono- and diglycerides. Enzymes like Novamyl BestBite can partly replace such additives because they act as processing aids that do not need to be labeled in the same way in many markets.

This gives R&D teams room to simplify formulations while maintaining softness, though the exact labeling rules differ by region and must be checked case by case. For brands with a strong "no additives" positioning, that can be a practical compromise rather than a radical recipe change.

Where the limits appear

Despite the targeted effect on crumb softness, Novamyl BestBite does not solve every quality issue in packaged bread. Crust crispness, aroma, and color still depend heavily on flour quality, fermentation, and baking conditions.

And while enzymes can extend the sensory shelf life, the true shelf life is still constrained by microbial stability and packaging. Bakeries focused mostly on mold problems still need to work on hygiene, preservatives, and pack integrity rather than relying on an anti-staling solution alone.

Position inside the Novonesis portfolio

Novamyl BestBite belongs to a larger Novamyl family that Novonesis markets globally to industrial bakers, from Europe and North America to fast-growing markets in Latin America and Asia. The group presents baking and food enzymes as core pillars of its Biosolutions strategy toward 2030.

Following the merger of Novozymes and Chr. Hansen to form Novonesis, management has emphasized cross-selling between food cultures and enzyme solutions, which should also benefit bakery customers that already use other ingredients from the combined portfolio.

Context for investors and listing

For investors Novamyl BestBite is one example of how Novonesis monetizes deep enzyme know-how in everyday consumer products, often under the radar of end users but with stable volumes over many years. Such B2B ingredients typically generate recurring revenue as long as the bakery keeps its recipe unchanged.

Shares of Novonesis A/S (DK0060336014) trade on Nasdaq Copenhagen in Danish kroner.

This article was AI-assisted and editorially reviewed. Product information without guarantee; prices and availability may change at short notice. No investment advice, no buy or sell recommendation. Stock-market transactions involve risks up to total loss.