Tap into the non-

dairy trend with

a tempting oat
drink
Here’s our guide
to fast-to-market
development

A fast-growing opportunity
Oat drinks are the fastest emerging category in the dairy-free
beverage segment, with growth currently estimated at around
30% a year. There are several reasons why. One is their close
association with milk, due to their widespread use as a break-
fast cereal. Another is their outstanding nutritional profile,
which sets them apart from other plant-based dairy alterna-
tives. Added to that, local sourcing makes oats a sustainable
choice.
Faced with this trend, it is hardly surprising that beverage
manufacturers – including dairy companies – want to win a
share of the oat drink market.
This white paper takes a look at what you need to consider
when starting oat drink production and how to bring your
product quickly to market.
Three key questions
If you’re a first-time oat drink producer, you probably have
these key questions:
• How do I produce an oat drink from scratch?
• How can I adjust the sensory profile?
• How can I optimise production?
But, first of all, you need to do some research and define what
kind of oat drink your target consumers will want to buy.
Defining a clear goal
The success of an oat drink lies with your initial market re-
search. What are the taste and texture preferences of con-
sumers in your market? Do consumers want a product that
is similar to a dairy beverage or do they prefer a more cereal
taste or a thicker texture? If you’re in the Nordic region of
Europe, for example, this is likely to show a preference for low
or no sweetness, while consumers further south typically enjoy
a sweeter taste.
The most efficient way to find out what consumers think is
to make a prototype of your oat drink product, which focus
groups and/or a sensory panel can then evaluate.
Standard solutions do not yet exist within the oat drink cate-
gory. So, as long as you listen to what consumers are saying,
the door to fruitful innovation is wide open.
Getting started from scratch
Starting up production of an oat drink does not always involve
capital investment. If you already produce dairy beverages, for
example, it will be possible to utilize equipment from parts of
your production line.
Our experience at Novozymes is that heat-treated oat flour is
the best raw material, as opposed to oat flakes.
However, regardless of which raw material you choose, the
backbone of successful production is always the right choice
of enzymes. These are essential both as an enabler of produc-
tion and for achieving the desired taste and texture in the final
product.
A typical oat drink production line will look something like this:

Liquefaction enzyme Saccharification enzyme

addition point addition point

Water

Heat treated
oat flour
(ratio betw. oat flour
Liquefaction Cooling Saccharification Decanting/Centrifugation Formulation Homogenization UHT/ESL Packaging
and water 1:4 to 1:6) tank 60-65˚C Tank (NaCl, oil, flavours etc.) treatment
(80-95˚C depending (50-65˚C, 15-60 min.
on the enzyme) depending on the enzyme)

Adjusting the sensory profile

This is where the enzymes come in. You will need to add them in two steps: liquefaction and saccharification.

Liquefaction enzyme
Addition of a liquefaction enzyme is necessary to break down the gelatinized starch components ¬– amylose and amylopectin –
into dextrins. It takes just a few seconds for the enzyme to reduce the viscosity of the oat flour/water blend in the process.

The choice of liquefaction enzymes is essential to meet requirements for viscosity and mouthfeel. A tailored enzyme blend often
produces the best results.

Amylose Amylopectin Dextrins & Amylose Dextrins &

fragments Amylopectin fragments

α-amylase
Glucoamylase

Dextrins Dextrins + Amylopectin

fragments Glucose Glucose + Isomaltose

Function: Function:
Break down starch to dextrins Increase DE value
Reduction of viscosity Create better mouth feel
and adjust the sweetness
 Optimizing production
A tailored enzyme blend is not only useful for adjusting the sensory profile of your oat drink. It can also help increase your produc-
tion yield. This synergistic effect makes it possible to raise the dry solids content by up to 10%. Output is then increased by the
addition of extra water. The graph shows the yield obtained using single alpha-amylase enzymes against the yield achieved when
the enzymes are combined. The enzymes used are both from Novozymes.

Impact of a synergistic enzyme combination on yield

Dry matter content of the supernatent after centrifugation

116%

112%

108%

104%

100%

96%

92%
2000/0 0/2000 1980/20
Termamyl® Classic/BAN® 480 L ratio
[ppm]

We’re here to help

Novozymes can provide a full support package to help you develop your oat drink and bring it faster to market. This includes
providing lab facilities for developing your prototype, recommending enzymes to achieve the desired sensory profile and advising
on raw materials and processing equipment. In fact, we have everything you need to reduce the risks related to new product
development and get you on the road to success.

Get in touch to start the dialogue.

About Novozymes Novozymes A/S

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and the global community, we improve industrial performance while preserving the planet’s DK – 2880 Bagsvaerd
resources and helping to build better lives. As the world’s largest provider of enzyme and Denmark
microbial technologies, our bioinnovation enables higher agricultural yields, low-temperature
washing, energy-efficient production, renewable fuel and many other benefits that we rely Tel. +45 4446 0000
on today and in the future. We call it Rethink Tomorrow.

October 2019 · No. 2019-XXXXX-01

Laws, regulations, and/or third party rights may prevent customers from importing, using, processing, and/or reselling the products described herein in a given manner. Without separate,
written agreement between the customer and Novozymes to such effect, this document does not constitute a representation or warranty of any kind and is subject to change without further notice. novozymes.com