NoPalm Ingredients (NPI) has claimed an industry first with its successful scale of fermentation-derived oils and fats from side streams, achieving an industrious fermentation scale of 120,000l.
The development “proves the feasibility of upcycling food industry side streams into high-quality, food-grade oils”, the business said, adding it could help to reduce food and drinks' reliance on palm and other tropical oils.
NPI carried out a trial at a contract manufacturing site, where it converted food industry side stream into sustainable oil using yeast-based fermentation.
Palm oil alternatives
The business’s proprietary fermentation and downstream processing technology reliably “produced food-grade oils at industrial scale”, it was claimed.
Industry could in the future rely on a circular alternative to palm and tropical oils that can fill the growing demand gap, but with lower emissions and land use.
“Three years ago, we were fermenting at benchtop scale,” said CEO and co-founder Lars Langhout.
“This summer, we hit 5,000l and today we’ve successfully scaled to 120,000l. With palm oil demand forecasted to grow by 4% annually, the need for sustainable alternatives has never been greater.”
How to replace palm oil
NPI’s alternative is claimed to be a “drop in ” replacement for conventional oils, which Langhout said could “reshape the industry”.
The ingredient is currently undergoing industrial-scale testing with NPI’s commercial partners to validate performance and capabilities.
NPI is also calling on “forward-thinking” customers and investors to join the business for what it is calling the “next generation oil revolution”.
“This milestone is the result of relentless dedication and ingenuity from our team,” Langhout added. “Now, it’s time to build on this momentum and scale toward full commercial deployment.”