Clean Food Group (CFG), a leading innovator in the UK biotech sector, has successfully completed a £4.5 million funding round spearheaded by Clean Growth Fund and New Agrarian, complemented by a £700,000 grant from Innovate UK.
This funding is designated for the swift expansion of CFG’s substantial one million-litre fermentation facility based in Knowsley, Liverpool, reinforcing its position as a significant player in the sustainable oils and fats production arena on a global scale.
CFG has introduced a unique fermentation technology that transforms food waste into yeast-based oils. In contrast to conventional vegetable oils, which demand extensive agricultural land, CFG’s offerings are produced within a regulated industrial setting.
– Format: Available in high-performance liquid oils and solid fats.
– Positioning: Offers a sustainable, direct “drop-in” substitute for palm and tropical oils.
– Technical attributes: Provides customizable functionality suited for food, cosmetics, and pet nutrition, ensuring uniformity that is often inconsistent in agricultural products due to seasonal fluctuations.
This investment influx arrives as the global market for sustainable food is anticipated to reach an impressive US$524 billion by 2032. As per Jim Mellon, chairman of New Agrarian, manufacturers are currently embroiled in “climate volatility and trade disputes.” CFG aims to bridge this gap with a localized, low-impact production model that circumvents the environmental and ethical dilemmas linked to conventional oil supply chains.
Although the technology was recently demonstrated at in-cosmetics Global in Paris, CFG is primarily focused on the food manufacturing and foodservice sectors. The company is collaborating closely with Döhler Group to incorporate these innovative fats into mainstream food production systems.
– Commercial trajectory: This funding will finalize the scale-up in Knowsley, transitioning CFG from pilot production to widespread commercial viability.
– Scale: With the one million-litre capacity, CFG can meet the volume demands of multinational FMCG companies.
Tom Ellen, CFO of Clean Food Group, remarked that this facility will be the “world’s largest” of its kind, while Rodrigo Hortega de Velasco from Döhler Ventures noted that bringing the Knowsley site into operation is a step toward making these pioneering products “closer to widespread commercial reality.”
This development indicates to food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers that fermentation-derived fats present a viable scalable alternative. The shift towards cleaner ingredient systems is gaining momentum. CFG’s capability to convert food waste into high-value oils at an industrial scale serves as a model for the industry to enhance resilience against environmental challenges while adhering to increasingly stringent ESG norms in the current market.
