004: Microbial Oil— Solving Global Issues with the Tiniest Organisms on Earth with Lars Langhout

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“Everybody gets opportunities. It’s a matter of recognizing them.” -Lars Langhout

Palm oil has been causing havoc in the food industry for years. It has been a major cause of deforestation, with the production causing large areas of forest to be cleared to make way for palm oil plantations. This has been a major contributor to climate change as well as animal cruelty and exploitations.

As a result, many companies have pledged to remove palm oil from their products. But palm oil is also a versatile and cost-effective ingredient that is hard to replicate. With no viable alternatives, the food industry has been at a standstill, unable to provide its consumers with the products they desire.

However, recent scientific discoveries in the field of food technology have paved the way for the first truly palm oil-free food products. The most exciting thing about plant-based food is not the taste or texture, but the fact that it has the ability to revolutionize the food industry by replacing the need for palm oil in food production. With these products finally on the market, the food industry has a new direction and purpose.

Founded in 2020 by Lars Langhout, NoPalm Ingredients seeks to create a better alternative to palm oil. Its mission revolves around three critical goals— local, circular, and sustainable. Thanks to their non-GMO and vegan-friendly microbial oil, the need for palm oil is replaced, not only in the food industry but also in its use in cosmetics and detergents. At the Fi Global Startup Challenge held last year, NoPalm Ingredients was named the Most Innovative F&B Ingredient or Processing Technology.

In this episode, Lars explores the scope of the problems caused by palm oil production and the future with no palm alternatives. He talks about what microbial oil is made from, how it is processed, as well as how it can be applied in different industries. Justine and Lars also talk about the steps needed to make an impact, recognizing opportunities that come, determining the right time to make a move, ideas on raising funds, and the new trend about alternative fats.

Meet Lars:

After a career in strategy consulting, Lars took the plunge to have a positive impact on the climate. Inspired by the likes of Irving Fain (Bowery Farming) and fellow CBS alumni Ethan Brown (Beyond Meat), Lars founded NoPalm Ingredients to replace the need for palm oil altogether. As CEO, Lars is responsible for all commercial aspects of NoPalm Ingredients

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Episode Highlights:

01:16 The Issue with Palm Oil

07:08 Prerequisites to Making an Impact

11:00 When to Make a Move

13:46 The Future with NoPalm Oil

16:01 Raising Funds

20:15 New Trend— Alternative Fats

22:00 The Microbial Oil Advantage