UK biotech company Clean Food Group has announced a strategic partnership with cosmetics product developer and manufacturer THG LABS to create groundbreaking raw materials, starting with a low-impact, high-performance oil for use in beauty and personal care products.
The collaboration aims to provide the cosmetics industry with more sustainable, effective, and responsible bio-equivalent alternatives to agriculturally intensive ingredients. By transforming food waste into valuable resources, the collaboration aims to reduce the environmental footprint of cosmetics production.
The newly announced partnership stems from eight years of pioneering research led by Professor Chris Chuck, Technical Lead at Clean Food Group. The company’s proprietary technology platform uses scalable, non-GMO yeast strains and fermentation processes, utilizing bread waste as a food source to produce sustainable alternatives to conventional oils and fats.
Last year, Clean Food Group raised £2.3 million for its oil and fats produced using fermentation, and this March the company secured an additional £2.5 million to bring its yeast-derived, non-GMO alternative to palm oil to market by 2025.
Science-led cosmetics that put sustainability at their core
Professor Chris Chuck states, “We are delighted to be collaborating with THG LABS, as a leading innovator and full-service manufacturer in the cosmetics industry. With the help of THG LABS, we are excited to bring to market a range of science-led cosmetics and personal care products that put sustainability at their core.”
Kristal Goodman, Head of Product Innovation, THG LABS, comments: “Building on THG LABS passion for biotech and commitment to a more sustainable future, we are thrilled to be collaborating with Clean Food Group on a new era of innovation in sustainability. We’re constantly challenging ourselves to improve the environmental impact of our products, not only within the manufacturing facility but also in the supply chain of our raw materials.”
“The work carried out by Professor Chris Chuck and his team has inspired a journey to explore the full potential of Clean Food Group’s revolutionary technology, with the Innovation team at THG LABS championing this project and helping to drive progress with more sustainable solutions for the cosmetics industry,” said Goodman.
