A unique fermentation platform for the production of a local, circular, and sustainable alternative to palm oil from bio-waste streams

Introduction

At NoPalm Ingredients, we aim to produce the first-ever sustainable, circular, cost-competitive, and locally-produced alternative to palm oil (and other vegetable oils). Our unique, fermentation-based bioprocessing technology platform that can turn agri-food waste streams into fermented oils & fats is instrumental to this effort.

Palm Oil Demand and Environmental Impact

Palm oil is found in 50% of all supermarket goods and 70% of all personal care products. With the increasing global population, the global palm oil demand is expected to triple to 240 Mt by 2050. However, palm oil production is responsible for:

• 1.5% of global GHG emissions
• 2.3% of global deforestation

Due to this, the European Deforestation-Free Regulation now obliges (FMCG) companies to use sustainably produced (RSPO-certified) palm oil. Yet only ~17% of palm oil produced today is RSPO-certified. This percentage will decrease further by 10-40%, due to climate change-induced oil palm plantation yield losses.

Our Technology

Our fermentation-based technology enables us to produce tailor-made oils/fats that can directly replace palm oil in food, personal care, cleaning, and cosmetics products. Uniquely, we use agri-food waste streams in our process as feedstock, and we have 2-3x higher overall process efficiency compared to the state-of-the-art.

Compared to palm oil production, our technology has:

• 93.5% less CO2 footprint
• Reduces land use by 99.9%

Local Production and Food Sovereignty

Over the last decade, imported palm oil use constituted ~30% of all vegetable oil consumption in the EU. Our technology will provide the capacity to locally produce fermented oils that can directly replace palm oil imports and become a critical tool for ensuring food sovereignty for Europe.

Our Team

Our team of 18 is led by Lars Langhout (CEO), with 12+ years of experience in strategy consulting and innovation management, and Prof. Jeroen Hugenholtz (CTO), a renowned microbiologist and fermentation expert with 40+ years of fermentation experience.