Collaborating on a sustainable and circular alternative to palm oil – NoPalm Ingredients

By using yeasts, we ferment waste streams into oils and fats that can replace palm oil in foods and cosmetics, for example. The technology we've developed for this purpose is widely applicable and offers many possibilities. That's also where the innovation lies. Other companies produce oils and fats to replace palm oil, but as far as I know, we're the only ones using waste stream fermentation for this purpose. There's a lot of interest in this process, both nationally and internationally.”

“I studied international business administration, and after working as a strategy consultant for various food companies as a client, I wanted more than just a commercial challenge. I wanted to do something with real impact. I connected with Jeroen Hugenholtz, who had extensive experience with fermentation of waste streams at Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (WUR). However, this technology hadn't yet been proven on a large scale. The idea arose to start a company together. With NoPalm Ingredients, we were able to demonstrate the desired scale within a year.

We truly believe in the impact of this technology. Imagine if global residual flows were no longer considered waste and the valorization of residual flows became common practice . An external Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has proven that our technology achieves a 90% CO2 reduction and uses 99% less land compared to palm oil.”

“Initially, we received support from a WUR operator who helped us with our initial trials. We also leveraged Jeroen Hugenholtz's extensive network at WUR. Naturally, we benefited from Wageningen's excellent reputation internationally. When I'm at a conference abroad and mention we're in Wageningen, it opens doors. In that respect, Wageningen is just as well-known as Amsterdam. You also notice that WUR is truly considered the Mushroom League in food R&D. Besides our own WUR alumni, we also spoke with WUR students, including at Career Day. They, too, have already achieved a high level of expertise. And I haven't even mentioned the beautiful and inspiring campus.”

“I strongly believe in ecosystems. Players on the Wageningen campus support us, and we support them. We are located in a region rich in knowledge and innovative capacity, with fascinating startups and employers attracting talent—not just young talent. What could be more rewarding than sharing the expertise and skills that are already present?

It is important to recognise the innovative opportunities available in the Netherlands, and especially in Gelderland and Wageningen, within the Agri & Food sector. With this potential, it should be feasible for at least one company with Wageningen roots to rank among the top three most innovative businesses in every niche of the food sector.

Currently, young companies often rely on investors who are cautious with risk, which can lead to ambitious expectations. However, WUR’s leading position in Food and R&D presents a unique opportunity: startups can grow here into commercial success stories with real impact.”

At the beginning of 2025, NoPalm Ingredients signed an agreement with NIZO Food Research to establish their first demonstration plant for yeast-based palm oil alternatives at the Food Innovation Campus in Ede. This step was made possible with support from Oost NL, the Province of Gelderland, and the Municipality of Ede.

Prior to this demonstration plant, a pilot setup was used in which several thousand litres of oil were repeatedly produced from 120,000 kilograms of food residual streams. The next step is to show the world that this can be done efficiently on a larger scale. The new demonstration plant will make this possible: the company plans to process 50,000 kilograms of food residual streams six times a week, resulting in an annual capacity of more than 1,200 tonnes under one roof.

This not only saves time and costs but also accelerates scaling up while ensuring consistent quality, stable supply, and industrial reliability. Moreover, the plant provides space to test new raw materials and process improvements. In addition, this step forms a solid foundation for sustainable collaborations with customers.

Looking ahead, NoPalm Ingredients aims to build a commercial plant at a partner’s production site that will supply the residual streams for fermentation. The demonstration plant will then be used to further optimise the process on an industrial scale. 

• Visit the website: NoPalm Ingredients
• Food and biobased research domain
• StartHub Wageningen
• Read more about how NoPalm Ingredients, together with WUR, invested in bioreactors