Clean Food Group (CFG), a UK company creating sustainable oils and fats through fermentation, has acquired the assets of Algal Omega 3 Ltd from administration.
The acquisition will grant CFG access to a million litres of fermentation capacity, along with extensive R&D facilities and the opportunity for future expansion. The company claims that the 12-acre site in Knowsley, Liverpool city region, could position it as the world’s largest manufacturer of yeast fermentation-derived sustainable oils and fats.
CFG says it has already validated commercial-scale production at the facility, having manufactured two tons of oil in a recent fermentation run. This demonstrates that the company’s technology can scale in existing manufacturing facilities, without the need for new-build infrastructure.
“With this acquisition, we have fast-tracked our route to market, leapfrogging the traditional, capital-intensive path from pilot to demo to new build commercial plant, which can take years and cost upwards of US$100 million,” said Alex Neves, CEO of CFG. “With commercial-scale validation already established at our new Knowsley facility, Clean Food Group is ready to capitalise on the US$20 billion market opportunity ahead, and to advance its planned Series A funding round, now expected for H1 2026.”
“Transformational time”
CFG is now positioned to produce microbial oils at a commercial scale, and will work to supply sustainable oils and fats at competitive price points to their agricultural equivalents across the food, cosmetics, and pet food markets. The news comes just weeks after the company announced that it had received regulatory approval for its CLEAN Oil™ 25 product to be used as a cosmetic ingredient in the UK, Europe, and the US.
CFG has appointed Bill Thurston, former Managing Director of Dawn Foods, CSM Bakery, and CFG NED, as Managing Director of the Knowsley facility. He is said to have extensive oils and fats experience, having led the acquisition of Unilever’s edible oils and fats business as CEO of CSM. Thurston will lead a senior manufacturing team at the newly acquired site to oversee operations and integration with immediate effect.
CFG previously secured £2.3 million in 2023 to accelerate the commercialisation of its yeast-based alternative to palm oil. This was followed by a £2.5 million raise last year.
“I am very pleased to be joining the executive management team of Clean Food Group at such a transformational time for the business,” said Thurston. “With my 30 years of experience in commercial and food manufacturing, I look forward to rapidly establishing this site as a global leader in sustainable alternatives to tropical oils.”
