Singapore creates a microalgae alternative to palm oil.

A team of scientists from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore has announced a healthier and more environmentally friendly alternative to palm oil. The new product is made from microalgae, marine microorganisms that are made up of eukaryotic cells. According to the authors, the plant product was not only edible but also less harmful to the body - it contains fewer substances that increase the risk of developing heart disease and stroke.

Palm oil is one of the most popular oils in the world. It is present in about half of all consumer products and plays a central role in a wide range of industrial food production technologies. According to The Engineer, in 2018, farmers produced 77 million tons of palm oil for the global market, and by 2024, according to forecasts, this figure will grow to 107.6 million tons.

Palm oil is usually produced using pyruvic acid, an organic acid found in all living cells. In the case of the new solution, a solution of Chromochloris zofiniensis algae was added to the acid and exposed to ultraviolet light to stimulate photosynthesis. 14 days after this process, the microalgae were washed, dried, and treated with methanol. In this way, the scientists broke the bonds between the oils and the algae protein so that they could be extracted.

Project leader Professor William Chen, director of the food science and technology program at NTU, said his team has developed a way to extract oil from microalgae that is applicable to sustainable commercial production. In addition, as the engineers explained, with the increase in the production of such oils, natural sunlight can be used, which means that the technology will help simultaneously remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turn it into biomass and oxygen through photosynthesis.

“The development of algal vegetable oils is another triumph for Nanyang Technological University as we strive to find successful ways to solve problems in the agri-food technology chain, especially those that have an adverse environmental impact,” said Chen.

The scientists also spoke about an alternative approach to the production of a palm oil substitute. Instead of conventional ingredients, the team used the fermentation of organic waste, like soybeans and fruit peels, in their technology. Thus, the authors not only reduced production costs but also reduced the amount of food waste.

The next step is to optimize new extraction methods to improve product yield and quality. The authors of the development believe that they will be able to move on to the commercialization of their oil production technology based on microalgae within two years.