British start-up Clean Food Group (CFG)’s fermentation-derived oil has been approved for cosmetic use in the UK, Europe and the USA.
The approval marked a major milestone in the commercialisation of CFG’s CLEAN OilCell technology platform, unlocking access to the global personal care and cosmetics sector, the company said on 12 September.
According to a report on the sector by Grand View Research, the industry is projected to grow from US$295.95bn in 2023 to more than US$445.98bn by 2030.
The CLEANOilCell technology is a microbial/fermentation‑based platform that uses non-genetically modified (GM) oleaginous yeast grown on food waste as the carbon/nutrient source.
CFG uses fermentation technology to grow the yeast in tanks similar to those used in the brewing industry.
After sufficient growth, the yeast cells’ lipids/oils are extracted, which have a fatty acid profile bio‑equivalent to palm oil (or high‑oleic palm oil) or other functional oils/fats used in food, cosmetics and other products.
The oil is designed to be a “drop‑in” replacement, meaning it behaves similarly in different formulations.
CFG’s CLEAN Oil product was developed in collaboration with beauty manufacturer THG LABS, the R&D and manufacturing arm of THG Beauty, and speciality chemical company Croda.
Co-founded by CEO Alex Neves and co-chairman Ed McDermott in 2021, the Clean Oil technology was developed over eight years at the University of Bath by Prof Chris Chuck.
In 2022, the relevant intellectual property was acquired by CFG, of which Prof Chuck is now technical lead.
“The cosmetics approval is an example of the importance of partnerships across supply chains and manufacturing to bridge biotech innovation to commercial scale,” Prof Chuck said.
