Technology / partner search
Mild processing of plant-based raw materials
Client overview
Established ingredients manufacturer supplying the food industry with a range of oils/fats and proteins. Traditionally the production of these ingredients can require capital intensive processes (leading to high energy consumption) and the use of large quantities of organic solvents (e.g. hexane), all of which provide environmental risks, in addition to being unsustainable. The client had committed to extending and improving the sustainability of their operations, and required partners with expertise in the mild (sustainable and/or solvent- free) processing of plant-based raw materials, in addition to new crop sources to enable the future production of oils/fats and proteins for the food industry.
The search
The client was aware that such a pledge to improve sustainability would require a combination of approaches to address their environmental footprint, social impact and energy consumption, all whilst bearing in mind the quality, scale and cost of products.
From the client’s previous work in this area, they knew of solutions that were technically viable, but had high CAPEX/OPEX, and so a key part of the filtering process for SAL was to understand the economics of each.
Solutions identified by Strategic Allies Ltd (SAL) included:
- clean solvent/solvent-free technology to improve extraction/refining processes;
- biobased solvents to replace fossil-fuel derived chemicals;
- alternative crops for oil/proteins.
Solutions to extract valuable compounds (e.g. ingredients for food/FMCG or energy to power the process) from waste streams, provided some valuable options to improve the output and profitability of current operations.
…provided a great pipeline of potential partners…”
Outcome
37 potential partners were provided to the client, all meeting the technical and commercial filters agreed at the outset and in the bi-weekly calls between the client and SAL research teams to ensure opportunities met any revised priorities.
At the end of the 6-month search, 11 partners were progressing discussions under NDA, with agreements in place / pending for exchange of samples, small scale trials, PoC work or wider partnering opportunities.