Australian biotech company, Nourish Ingredients, is bringing its specialty fats and precision fermentation technology into the European food manufacturing ecosystem, with the establishment of a global commercial hub in Leiden, the Netherlands.
Nourish Ingredients is a leader in the field of animal-free fats and precision fermentation, and has been pushing onto the global stage over the past year. The company signed a joint commercial agreement in November 2024 with Chinese company Cabio Biotech to manufacture and distribute Tastilux throughout the Asia Pacific region, with the first commercial production run achieved in April.
Nourish also received FEMA’s generally recognised as safe status for its proprietary ingredient in August, clearing the way for immediate commercial sales direct to US food manufacturers and brands. Now the company is forging its way into Europe, a key strategic region for alternative protein and sustainable food innovation.
Source: Nourish Ingredients
The new facility at BioPartner 5 in Leiden will house innovation capabilities, product development, customer demonstration facilities, and commercial operations. Co-founder and chief technology officer, Anna El Tahchy, has also relocated to lead the European operations.
BioPartner 5 is the first energy-neutral laboratory of the Netherlands, designed to be energy-efficient, circular, and aligned with the climate goals of the Paris Agreement of 2015.
“Europe offers an ideal environment for the next stage of our growth, with a highly supportive ecosystem and some of the world’s leading food companies based here,” said Tahchy.
“Combined with a deep pool of scientific and commercial talent and its reputation as a hub for food innovation, Europe is the natural next step in our global journey. We’re looking forward to building our team here and working closely with local partners.”
The Netherlands facility will feature a demonstration kitchen, enabling food manufacturers to experience firsthand how Nourish Ingredients’ fats can enhance their own products, as well as specialised food and sensory laboratories focused on applications development, supporting rapid product customisation for European and global markets.
Nourish Ingredients CEO and co-founder, James Petrie, said setting up a hub in Europe represents an enormous opportunity for the company, as it scales its animal-free fats globally.
“The region is home to the world’s largest food manufacturers, brands and provides unparalleled support for sustainable food innovation,” said Petrie.
“Establishing our commercial hub in the Netherlands allows us to work directly with European customers and partners, tapping into local networks that will accelerate our growth.”
Petrie recently discussed the company’s hybrid product mentality in an op-ed for Food & Drink Business.
Using its new global commercial hub in Europe as a launch pad, Nourish expects to finalise additional strategic partnerships with leading food manufacturers worldwide in the coming year. The company stated it expects to have its Netherlands facility fully operational by 2026, and plans to host a formal opening event and customer sampling showcase once fully established.
