Why biosciences are becoming foundational to modern food & beverages production

From reactive problem-solving to proactive Resilient Design.

The global food and beverage industry is under constant pressure. What was once a relatively stable system, with predictable raw material flows and established production processes, is now increasingly volatile. Climate variability, geopolitical instability and persistent inflation now actively reshape how manufacturers operate. For manufacturers, this translates into a more complex operating environment, where consistency, efficiency and cost control are no longer easily aligned.

Regulators are tightening expectations around nutrition and sustainability, while consumers are demanding greater transparency, cleaner labels and more responsible sourcing.

As Simon Bird, VP Food & Beverage Biosciences at IFF, explains, “manufacturers are under much more scrutiny and more demands from consumers and regulations. They want to understand about sustainability, and they want to see a lot more transparency coming from food manufacturers”.

This convergence of pressures is forcing producers to rethink not only what they make, but how they make it. In sectors such as bakery and brewing, where margins can be tight and volumes high, the challenge is particularly acute.

Manufacturers must deliver consistent, high-quality products, while navigating variability in raw materials, rising costs and increasingly complex product portfolios.

A system under pressure

Inflation continues to ripple through global supply chains, pushing up the cost of ingredients, energy and logistics. At the same time, climate-driven variability is affecting the quality and availability of key raw materials such as wheat and barley, introducing a level of unpredictability that traditional processes were not designed to handle.

• In brewing, fluctuations in barley quality can have a direct impact on mash performance and fermentation efficiency
• In bakery, variability in flour functionality can disrupt dough handling and final product quality. These are not marginal issues; they go to the heart of process reliability.

Compounding this is the growing complexity of product portfolios.

Brewers are now expected to produce a broader range of products, including no- and low-alcohol beers, often using the same infrastructure.

Bakers are reformulating to increase protein or fibre content in response to health trends. Each shift adds technical complexity and demands more adaptable, resilient processes.

Despite these demands, manufacturers must also do more with fewer resources. Sustainability targets are becoming more ambitious, with increasing pressure to reduce water use, energy consumption and waste.

The rise of bioscience as a foundational tool

Against this backdrop, bioscience innovation is emerging as a critical enabler of resilience. Rather than acting as a corrective measure applied late in the process, bioscience solutions –including enzyme technologies – work upstream, influencing how raw materials are transformed from the outset.

Simon describes this shift as fundamental: “Unlike traditional functional ingredients, bioscience innovation is really focusing on the process as a whole and making sure that we are getting a process that is tolerant and adaptable without having to make corrective actions further down in the process. – says Simon Bird, Vice President Food & Beverages Biosciences IFF.

This distinction matters because traditional formulation approaches often address product characteristic – such as adjusting texture, stability or shelf life – after variability has already affected the system.

Enzymes act during key stages such as mixing, mashing or fermentation, helping to standardize inputs and stabilize outcomes before problems arise.

• In brewing, this means improving the breakdown of complex molecules during mashing, enabling more efficient extraction and more predictable fermentation.
• In bakery, they interact with flour components during dough development, strengthening the dough matrix and improving tolerance to variability.

The result is a process that is inherently more robust, capable of delivering consistent performance even when raw material quality fluctuates, or production conditions change.

Building resilience with Enzymes into the process

One of the most immediate benefits of bioscience innovation is improved process reliability.

In industrial bakery environments, high-speed production lines place significant stress on dough systems. Even minor inconsistencies can lead to product defects, waste and costly downtime. By reinforcing dough structure , enzyme solutions help maintain elasticity, gas retention and stability, ensuring that products retain their intended volume and texture even under demanding conditions.

As Simon notes, “because you get a more resilient dough structure, you don’t see collapsing, you don’t see loss in volume. And it means you get less rejects, which means less waste”.

Efficiency, sustainability and cost in alignment

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of bioscience solutions is their ability to align operational efficiency with sustainability goals. By improving yield, reducing waste and optimising resource use, enzymes deliver both economic and environmental benefits simultaneously.

In practical terms, this means:

• Fewer rejected batches
• Less rework
• More efficient use of water and energy
• Extending the usable life of products, particularly in bakery, where freshness is a key determinant of waste across the value chain.

Importantly, these gains are achieved without adding complexity to the formulation.  Enzymes  enable manufacturers to simplify ingredient lists while maintaining performance. This is increasingly valuable in a market where clean-label expectations have become the norm.

Cost control, too, is reframed.

As Simon explains, “you need to look beyond cost‑in‑use and consider the cost of the system as a whole. By removing inefficiencies, we are able to bring significant value.”

Instead of focusing solely on ingredient costs, manufacturers can reduce total production costs by improving process efficiency

Supporting the future of food production

Looking ahead, bioscience will play an even greater role in food production. As climate variability intensifies and consumer expectations continue to evolve, the need for flexible, resilient production systems will only grow.

Bioscience innovation offers a pathway to meet these challenges, enabling manufacturers to extract more value from available resources while maintaining quality and affordability.

It also opens the door to new product formats, from healthier baked goods to innovative beverage categories, without requiring fundamental changes to existing infrastructure.

For Simon, this is what makes the field so compelling. “It’s not about how we solve the problems today, it’s about how we feed the world in the future,” he says.

As a leading innovator in the food & biosciences space, IFF plays a key role in helping manufacturers turn ambition into reality. From molecule design and enzyme development through to large‑scale production, our proven enzymes, global reach and deep technical expertise—combined with long‑standing local support—help efficient food production move from theory to real‑world application.

In an industry defined by constant change, bioscience is no longer a supplementary tool in food & beverages production. It is becoming a foundational capability, helping manufacturers globally to move from reactive problem-solving to proactive design of resilient, efficient and sustainable production systems.