Botaneco targets next-generation plant-based fats with expanded oilseed oleosome platform

Botaneco is expanding its proprietary oilseed processing platform for food and nutrition applications as demand grows for plant-based fat systems, clean-label ingredients, and more resource-efficient production technologies.

The Calgary, Alberta-based company said it is advancing its aqueous processing technology while exploring new partnerships with international food and nutrition companies. Botaneco has already established strategic relationships in the personal care and animal feed sectors, building on a manufacturing platform that has supported commercialization with customers ranging from startups to multinational consumer packaged goods companies.

• Botaneco advanced its proprietary aqueous oilseed processing platform for food and nutrition applications while pursuing new international commercial partnerships.
• The technology separated intact oleosomes and proteins from Canadian oilseeds, supporting greater utilization of harvested crops and creating additional ingredient co-streams.
• The company evaluated oleosome applications in structured plant-based fat systems, including oleogels, targeting improved functionality, texture and formulation performance.

The company's technology separates intact oleosomes and proteins from Canadian oilseeds using an aqueous processing method. By preserving these naturally occurring oil bodies, Botaneco aims to improve utilization of harvested oilseeds while creating additional ingredient streams and higher-value co-products.

Oleosomes are microscopic oil-containing structures found naturally within seeds. Because they retain their native membrane, they can contribute emulsification, texture, and fat delivery properties in food formulations. Botaneco believes this could provide manufacturers with a naturally derived alternative to more conventionally processed fat ingredients.

Alongside its existing ingredient portfolio, the company is also investigating how oleosomes could be incorporated into structured plant-based fat systems, including oleogel formulations. Oleogels have attracted growing interest across the food industry as developers seek ways to replicate the structure and sensory characteristics of animal fats while using plant-derived ingredients.

Botaneco said these applications could prove particularly valuable in products where fat structure, mouthfeel, and overall formulation performance play an important role.

"Food and nutrition companies are increasingly looking for better plant-based lipid systems - not just alternatives to animal fat, but ingredients that can improve functionality, nutrition, and formulation performance," said James Szarko, President & CEO of Botaneco.

"Botaneco has spent years building the science, processing know-how, and industrial capability required to bring oilseed oleosomes into real-world applications."

The company said its food and nutrition ambitions build on experience gained through its personal care business, where its manufacturing platform has already been commercialized with customers ranging from emerging brands to major consumer packaged goods companies.

Based in Calgary, Botaneco operates laboratories and manufacturing infrastructure supporting development of plant-derived functional ingredients. The company said its technology sits at the intersection of oilseed valorization, plant-based nutrition, and functional ingredient innovation.

Its portfolio includes Hydresia, CapSol, Purezome and Alofin, brands that span oleosome-based ingredients, plant-derived functionality and high-value oilseed co-streams.

As food manufacturers continue searching for ingredients that can improve functionality while supporting cleaner labels and more efficient use of agricultural raw materials, Botaneco is positioning its oleosome platform as a technology that could address multiple formulation challenges across plant-based foods and nutrition products.