Scientists have created a sustainable alternative to palm oil that could be available on the market by late 2025. Palm oil, along with other tropical oils such as coconut, shea, cocoa butter and soybean, has long been associated with environmental harm. Its cultivation is linked to deforestation, biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and water and air pollution across Southeast Asia, South America and Africa.
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Despite these impacts, palm oil remains one of the most widely used ingredients in everyday products. Estimates suggest that roughly half of all packaged goods on supermarket shelves contain some form of palm oil, often listed under a variety of names including glycerine and stearic acid. For more than a decade, researchers at the University of Bath, led by Professor Chris Chuck, a chemical engineer, have been searching for an alternative. Their work has now led to a promising discovery: a yeast known as Metschnikowia pulcherrima.
“It grows on grapes,” Professor Chuck told BBC Science Focus. “It’s already used in the organic wine industry. Those blackcurrant notes you often get in South African red wines largely come from this yeast.”
Although the yeast naturally contains around 20 per cent fat, the research team applied a process called ‘directed evolution’. This technique, which combines selective breeding with environmental pressures, enabled the yeast to produce about 50 per cent fat while also accelerating its growth rate.
The yeast is cultivated in large vats, using food waste such as bread or potatoes broken down into sugars. Once it reaches peak density, the cells are split open to release the oil, which is refined in a similar way to conventional edible oils. The remaining material can be repurposed into food ingredients, including natural emulsifiers and beta-glucan – a fibre known for supporting heart health. By altering the yeast’s growing environment, scientists can modify the oil’s texture, flavour and nutritional profile, tailoring it to replicate a variety of fats.
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“If we do this correctly, we can prevent tropical forests from being cut down,” Professor Chuck explained. “At present, land the size of Argentina is used to produce edible oils – and demand is only increasing.”
The palm oil industry was valued at £37.3 billion in 2021 and is projected to rise to £48.3 billion by 2027. According to Chuck, yeast-based oils could help address this growing demand while cutting carbon emissions.
“These tropical plants produce more CO2 than oil,” he said. “Our yeast-based oil emits 95 per cent less carbon dioxide, and it can be grown almost anywhere. With precision fermentation, you can establish production locally. For example, we could set up in Birmingham, use food waste from local factories, make the oil, and return it to the community.” The team expects yeast-based oil to appear in cosmetics by late 2025 or early 2026, with food applications following shortly afterwards.
