Roquette outlines is algal ingredient plans post split with Solazyme: 'We have the process, the plant, and we're ready to go to market'
On day one of the show, we heard from Solazyme (click here). On day two, we heard from Roquette, the other half of the now defunct algal ingredients JV Solazyme Roquette Nutritionals, which announced it was no more at the end of last month.
So what's going to happen now?
According to commercial VP Fernando Arias, Roquette is uniquely well-positioned as it comes out of the joint venture as it has the ingredients, the applications expertise, the infrastructure and - equally importantly - the manufacturing capabilities to get its high-lipid and high-protein algal ingredients (and a new brand to replace the 'Almagine' brand developed by the JV) to market first.
Right now, it's still in the sampling phase, said Arias, but by Q4 2013 its brand new 5,000t manufacturing facility at Lestrem in France will come online, with a commercial launch to follow in January 2014.
In the meantime, customers are playing with samples of the algae ingredients in every kind of application from cookies, ice cream, cakes and crackers to frozen desserts, bars, beverages and sauces.
The high-lipid ingredient ('Whole Algalin Flour') contains around 50% lipids plus a mixture of protein, soluble and insoluble fiber, antioxidants and micronutrients, and can be used to partially or fully replace anything that is a source of fat, from egg yolk to butter or vegetable oil.
The high protein ingredient is a highly digestible, whole food ingredient with a combination of protein, fiber, lipids and micronutrients, along with a unique amino acid profile, offering an innovative new source of vegetable protein for the nutraceuticals market.
Pictured left to right: Philippe Caillat, Valerie Le Bihan and Fernando Arias
