Clean Food Group acquires Liverpool fermentation facility to accelerate global expansion

Clean Food Group (CFG), the UK-based food technology company developing sustainable oils and fats, has completed the acquisition of Algal Omega 3 Ltd (AO3), securing a one-million-liter fermentation facility in Liverpool. The move, described by the company as transformational, provides CFG with immediate large-scale production capacity and establishes it as the world’s largest manufacturer of yeast fermentation-derived oils and fats.

The 12-acre site combines significant fermentation infrastructure with research and development facilities and space for future expansion. CFG said the acquisition allows it to bypass the traditional, capital-intensive path of building new demonstration and commercial-scale plants, accelerating its ability to bring products to market.

The company has already completed its first production run at the facility, successfully producing two tons of oil. The milestone validated the scalability of CFG’s proprietary fermentation platform and demonstrated how it can be integrated into existing industrial assets.

“This acquisition fast-tracks 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 CFG. “With commercial-scale validation already established at our new Liverpool facility, Clean Food Group is ready to capitalize on the US$20 billion market opportunity ahead, and to advance its planned Series A funding round, now expected for H1 2026. This 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 acquisition comes just days after CFG received regulatory approval for its CLEAN Oil 25 product for use as a cosmetic ingredient in the UK, Europe, and the United States. The company sees cosmetics as an important early market, while also targeting food and pet food applications as regulatory pathways advance. By scaling quickly, CFG aims to compete directly with agricultural oils, including palm and soy, offering alternatives with a lower environmental footprint.

To lead operations at the Liverpool site, CFG has appointed Bill Thurston as Managing Director (pictured above). A veteran of the food and oils sector, Thurston has previously served as Managing Director of Dawn Foods and CSM Bakery, and was a CFG non-executive director. His career includes overseeing 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,” Thurston said. “With my 30 years of experience in commercial and food manufacturing, I look forward to rapidly establishing this site as a global leader in sustainable alternatives to tropical oils.”

The Liverpool hub marks a major milestone for CFG, which was founded with the mission of replacing traditional oil production with more sustainable methods. By using precision fermentation to produce oils directly from yeast, the company hopes to reduce deforestation and biodiversity loss linked to palm oil cultivation, while creating reliable and scalable supply chains.

For the UK’s bioeconomy, the acquisition underscores the potential for industrial assets to be repurposed for next-generation food technology. Rather than following the conventional trajectory of moving from pilot to demonstration scale before building a greenfield commercial plant, CFG’s approach leverages existing infrastructure to shorten time-to-market and reduce capital expenditure.

The company emphasized that the Liverpool site offers not only fermentation capacity but also room for expansion, providing a platform for future growth as new products are developed. Its location within a biotech hub offers opportunities for collaboration and access to regional talent, strengthening CFG’s ability to scale.

CFG estimates the market opportunity for sustainable microbial oils and fats at US$20 billion, spanning food, cosmetics, and animal nutrition. By proving commercial-scale production and achieving regulatory clearance for its first product, the company has taken a significant step toward capturing a share of that market.

Neves said the acquisition would also help drive the company’s fundraising efforts. With Series A now targeted for the first half of 2026, CFG plans to leverage its new facility as proof of its readiness to scale commercially.

The company’s CLEAN Oil platform is designed to deliver oils with specific functional properties that mimic or improve upon those found in traditional agricultural sources. Early applications are focused on cosmetics, where formulation flexibility and sustainability credentials are key drivers. As regulatory approvals progress, CFG intends to expand into food categories where demand for alternatives to palm oil is strong.

By securing one of the largest fermentation facilities of its kind, CFG has positioned itself at the forefront of the shift toward microbial oils. The acquisition signals both commercial readiness and an intent to compete globally in a sector where speed to scale and cost competitiveness are expected to be decisive.