Noma and Novonesis join forces to scale next-generation flavour innovation
A new collaboration between Noma and Novonesis brings together culinary craft and advanced biosolutions to accelerate the development of healthier, tastier and more sustainable food products for dining tables around the world.
A pioneering partnership unites two leading Danish actors in flavour and fermentation innovation: the world-renowned Copenhagen restaurant Noma and the global biosolutions company Novonesis. Together, they explore how scientific expertise and gastronomic creativity can unlock new flavour dimensions, enhance nutritional profiles and improve the efficient use of raw materials – supporting both producers and consumers.
The initial development focus centres on Noma Projects, Noma’s line of pantry products derived from methods used in the restaurant’s fermentation lab. With Novonesis’ biotechnology capabilities integrated into the work, the partners investigate new ways microbial fermentation can support food design and commercial production.
Combining scientific expertise with culinary innovation
The collaboration builds on the complementary strengths of the two partners. Novonesis contributes more than a century of fermentation and microbiological knowledge, while Noma brings deep experience in seasonal ingredients, preservation methods and flavour development.
Working side by side, Noma’s chefs and Novonesis’ scientists test how advanced microbial processes can boost flavour intensity, strengthen nutritional qualities and stabilise ingredients during production. This includes exploring deeper umami profiles, cleaner label formulations and reduced reliance on additives. Prototypes such as mushroom garum and blackened whey, presented at Gulfood Manufacturing 2025 in Dubai, demonstrate how ideas from Noma’s test kitchen are already moving toward scalable product concepts.
From local experimentation to global inspiration
Noma’s rediscovery of Nordic raw materials and regional flavour development provides a strong foundation for creating distinct sensory profiles. Novonesis complements this through a global laboratory network that helps producers adapt solutions to local ingredients, processing environments and consumer preferences. This approach ensures that new flavour solutions retain their regional identity while remaining adaptable across diverse markets.
A Danish model for cross-sector innovation
The partnership reflects Denmark’s longstanding tradition of connecting gastronomy, research and biosolutions to advance food innovation. This cross-disciplinary model has enabled Danish companies, chefs and scientists to develop solutions that respond to evolving global demands for high quality, healthy solutions and more sustainable production methods.
By linking culinary craftsmanship with advanced fermentation capabilities, the collaboration between Noma and Novonesis presents a clear example of Denmark’s strengths within gastronomy, ingredient knowledge and biosolutions. Together, the partners open new pathways for food innovation by developing scalable flavour solutions that inspire transformation across borders.