andrew_cowherd's profile

Saturday, July 1st, 2023 11:55 AM

Enzyme production methods

Hey Oatly,

Can you give further details on how the enzymes you use are produced? Here’s why I’d like to know.  

My family switched to oat milk last year. Mostly because my wife and daughter are lactose intolerant, but also because of the environmental benefits. But before doing so we tried lactose free milk and lactaid style digestive aids. These never seemed to help my wife and sometimes made her feel worse. Oat milk solved that problem and yours is of course the best. We didn’t think much of it until very recently, when I started researching and tasting Sake for my job. My wife doesn’t drink, but during the time I was tasting sakes, my wife would have random allergic reactions that couldn’t be explained. We did some research on what could be causing these allergies and came across a common factor. Sake is produced using aspergillus oryzae, because it produces the enzymes needed to break down starches in rice. The same fungus is also used in the production of enzymes for some lactose free dairy products. While rare, allergic reactions to products and this fungus have been studied. 

That’s a long story to ask a simple question, which I’m asking because my wife has never had any issues or reactions to Oatly. We know that Oatly uses enzymes that could possibly be made using aspergillus fungi, but could also be produced using other methods. So, are you willing to share which process you use to produce the enzymes used in Oatly? It would help us satisfy a curiosity while we wait for a more official allergen test from her doctor. 

Thanks Oatly!

141 Messages

1 year ago

Hi Andrew!

Many thanks for sharing your story. And welcome to the Post Milk Generation to you and your family!

 

We're not using aspergillus fungi but natural enzymes, amylases, to break down the oat starch. It's in fact the same kind of enzymes that are naturally present in our gastrointestinal tract. 

Hope this was useful and that your family will continue to enjoy our products! Anything else on your mind we're always here to chat. 

 

Love,
Åsa at Oatly