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Chr. Hansen has launched two new yeast strains for non-alcoholic brewing, designed to provide manufacturers with more flavour variety. Sofie Saerens, senior commercial development manager at Chr. Hansen, said: "With new strains in our portfolio, brewers can now offer an even greater variety of flavours to consumers who are seeking non-alcoholic options. Our SmartBev Neer technology provides the full beer experience, creating a well-integrated body and mouthfeel that rivals traditional alcoholic beers. Plus, our yeast technology streamlines the brewing process, enabling cost savings and sustainability benefits." The new strains, Neer Poly and Neer Punch, join Chr. Hansen’s original strain in its portfolio – all three are distinct Pichia kluyveri yeast strains. The portfolio is designed to provide brewers with an expanded palette of flavours to customise beers according to taste preferences. Neer Poly provides a more neutral impact of the yeast, allowing malt and hops to be more prominent in the beer's flavour profile, and is a good choice for pilsner, stout and ale beers. Neer Punch is suited for fruit-forward beers, with full ester characters that add depth and complexity to the flavour, it is a good choice for IPAs, wheat and fruit beers. The most common method of making alcohol-free beer is to brew full-strength beer and then remove the alcohol and add flavouring. Brewing with SmartBev Neer is said to transform wort flavours directly into beer flavours without producing alcohol. The technology also provides several business benefits as direct fermentation reduces malt needs up to 65%, leading to energy savings and a decreased carbon footprint, as well as less water consumption due to reduced malt usage. Additionally, Neer facilitates “swift market entry” as the time from initial contact to final product can be shortened to six months, enabling a rapid response to flavour trends.