NEW TECH FOODS

NoPalm Ingredients has entered into a strategic partnership with Belgian dairy cooperative Milcobel to secure feedstock and explore co-location opportunities for the scale-up of its palm oil alternatives.

Under the agreement, Milcobel will supply whey permeate – a by-product from its cheese production – to NoPalm Ingredients’ demonstration facility in the Netherlands, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2026.

In addition, the two companies will conduct a joint feasibility study on establishing NoPalm Ingredients’ first commercial production facility at Milcobel’s Langemark site, targeted to start operations in 2028.

NoPalm Ingredients has developed a fermentation process that converts agro-industrial side streams such as whey permeate into oils and fats with the same functional properties as palm and other tropical oils. Industrial trials carried out over the past two years have confirmed the feasibility of using whey permeate as a feedstock, with consistent production of specification-grade oils at industrial scale.

Francis Relaes, managing director of Milcobel Premium Ingredients, said: “This new collaboration with NoPalm Ingredients...brings the valorisation of whey permeate higher up the value chain, turning it into sustainable, high-value oil ingredients for food and non-food. It not only strengthens our economic model but also reinforces our commitment to circularity principles and better impact for the planet.”

Lars Langhout, CEO of NoPalm Ingredients, added: “This partnership proves the strength of our co-location model: turning side streams into high-value ingredients where they are generated, reducing transport and sharing infrastructure. Working with Milcobel shows how a biotech startup and a dairy leader can create true circularity with economic and environmental value on both sides.”