NoPalm Ingredients named Food Planet Prize finalist for fermentation-based palm oil alternative

Wageningen-based biotech NoPalm Ingredients has been named one of four global finalists for the 2026 Curt Bergfors Food Planet Prize, recognizing its fermentation-based alternative to palm oil and other tropical fats.

• NoPalm Ingredients was selected as one of four global finalists for the 2026 Curt Bergfors Food Planet Prize following a multi-stage technical and operational evaluation process.
• The prize carried a top award of US$1.5 million, with the three remaining finalists each receiving US$150,000 in recognition of their work.
• The company developed fermentation-derived fats from food industry side streams, designed as drop-in replacements for palm oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter.

The Curt Bergfors Foundation announced the shortlist on 29 April 2026. The Food Planet Prize is described as the world’s largest environmental award in food and agriculture, recognizing initiatives with the potential to transform food systems in environmentally restorative and scalable ways.

The 2026 prize carried a top award of US$1.5 million, while each of the three remaining finalists received US$150,000. The Prize Secretariat stated that all shortlisted initiatives were considered worthy winners following a rigorous evaluation process that included technical due diligence and on-site assessments.

The Prize Committee described NoPalm Ingredients as “an elegant, systems-aware solution that could quietly decarbonize supply chains and reduce pressure on ecosystems vulnerable to climate extremes.”

Founded in 2021, NoPalm Ingredients has developed a fermentation-based process using oleaginous yeast grown in industrial tanks. The microorganisms were fed on upcycled food industry side streams such as potato peels and dairy by-products, producing fats designed to mirror the structure and functionality of palm oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter.

The company stated that these fats could be used as drop-in replacements, allowing manufacturers to incorporate them into existing formulations without altering production processes. This compatibility has been a central part of its commercialization strategy, particularly as food manufacturers look for alternatives that do not require costly reformulation.

Palm oil remains one of the most widely used ingredients in the global food system, present in nearly 50% of fast-moving consumer goods. Its low cost and versatility have driven widespread adoption, but its supply chains have long been associated with deforestation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions.

NoPalm Ingredients’ approach was developed to address both environmental impact and resource efficiency. By using food industry side streams as feedstock, the process diverts waste that might otherwise decompose into greenhouse gases, while reducing reliance on land-intensive tropical oil crops. Residual yeast biomass generated during production can also be repurposed for animal feed or pet food.

The company’s decentralized production model has also been designed to reduce logistics emissions and increase supply chain resilience. Facilities are intended to be co-located with existing side-stream suppliers, including sugar refineries, starch processors, and dairy manufacturers, enabling local production and reducing transportation requirements.

This co-location strategy has already begun to take shape through partnerships. In September 2025, NoPalm Ingredients entered into a strategic agreement with Belgium’s largest dairy cooperative, Milcobel, to use whey permeate as a feedstock for its fermentation process. The collaboration secured a consistent supply of raw materials for the company’s planned demonstration facility and included a feasibility study for a future commercial-scale plant at Milcobel’s Langemark site, targeted for 2028.

At the time, CEO Lars Langhout said the partnership demonstrated how industrial symbiosis could unlock circular production models, adding: “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.”

The company has also progressed on the manufacturing side. Earlier in 2025, NoPalm Ingredients confirmed plans to build its first yeast oil demonstration factory at the NIZO Food Innovation Campus in Ede, marking a transition from pilot-scale production to industrial deployment. The facility, expected to begin operations in 2026, was designed to consolidate production steps under one roof and scale output to several hundred tons annually, with capacity to expand further.

Julie Cortal, Chief Commercial Officer at NoPalm Ingredients, said at the time that the site would demonstrate readiness for industrial delivery, stating: “We have proven that our technology works, and by taking the entire process into our own hands, we maintain maximum control over every step: from raw material to end product.”

Beyond production and partnerships, the company has also sought to validate market acceptance. A 2025 consumer study commissioned by NoPalm Ingredients across the Netherlands, Germany, and France found that yeast oil was favored over palm oil in certain applications, particularly margarine, with respondents perceiving it as both more environmentally friendly and healthier.

The findings suggested that consumer acceptance may not be a barrier to adoption, even as awareness of yeast oil remains relatively low. For manufacturers, this type of data has been seen as critical in reducing the perceived risk of reformulation.

Against this backdrop, the Food Planet Prize recognition adds another layer of validation as the company moves toward commercialization. “Being selected as a Food Planet Prize finalist is among the most meaningful external validations we have received,” said Langhout. “The Prize Committee’s due diligence process is genuinely rigorous: they visited our facilities, examined our technology and our numbers in detail. Their conclusion gives us confidence that what we are building is not just scientifically sound, but commercially and systemically ready. We look forward to the jury event in Sweden and to continuing to demonstrate what fermentation can do for the food system.”

The other 2026 finalists are APCNF from India, Conscious Kitchen from the USA, and The Savanna Institute from the USA. The four organizations are scheduled to convene in Båstad, Sweden, from 1-4 June 2026 for the award event, where the winner will be announced on 2 June following presentations to the jury.

(From left to right, main photo shows Jeroen Hugenholtz, Co-founder & CTO, Julie Cortal, Chief Commercial Officer, Jeroen Blansjaar, Chief Operations Officer and Lars Langhout, Co-founder & CEO)