Clean Food Group’s facility acquisition fast-tracks entry into $20bn sustainable oils market
Clean Food Group has executed a landmark acquisition of the assets of Algal Omega 3 Ltd (AO3), a move that immediately establishes it as the world’s largest manufacturer of yeast fermentation-derived sustainable oils and fats.
The strategic purchase provides Clean Food Group (CFG) with immediate access to a one million-litre fermentation capacity at a state-of-the-art, 12-acre biotech hub in Liverpool. This critical infrastructure leapfrogs the company over the traditional, capital-intensive development phase, accelerating its route to market by years.
“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 the a leading UK food-tech pioneer specialising in sustainable oils and fats. “With commercial-scale validation already established at our new Liverpool facility, Clean Food Group is ready to capitalise on the US$20 billion market opportunity ahead.”
The company didn’t wait to test the new facility; it has already validated commercial-scale production, successfully producing two tons of oil in a recent fermentation run. This achievement not only proves the scalability of CFG’s proprietary technology but also demonstrates its ability to integrate seamlessly into existing industrial facilities, avoiding the time and cost associated with new construction.
This scale puts CFG in a unique position to bring sustainable microbial oils to the market at competitive price points, offering a crucial alternative to tropical and agricultural oils across the food, cosmetics, and pet food sectors. The timing is opportune, following CFG’s recent regulatory win: CLEAN Oil 25 was approved just last week for use as a cosmetic ingredient across the UK, Europe, and the United States.
To oversee operations and drive immediate integration at the Liverpool site, CFG has appointed food manufacturing veteran Bill Thurston as managing director. Thurston, a former managing director for Dawn Foods and CSM Bakery, brings over 30 years of experience in the oils and fats industry, including leading the acquisition of Unilever’s edible oils and fats business.
“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. “I look forward to rapidly establishing this site as a global leader in sustainable alternatives to tropical oils.”
CEO Neves framed the move as a major development for the region, stating the acquisition is “not just the opening of a fermentation plant — it is the dawn of a new era in UK biotechnology, one that places Liverpool at the beating heart of the new bio-industrial revolution.”
The company expects to advance its planned Series A funding round following this expansion, now slated for the first half of 2026.
