AAK and Savor partner to scale “carbon-crafted” fats for dairy and baked goods

AAK and Savor have entered a two-year strategic collaboration to develop and commercialize sustainable fats using a “carbon-to-fat” conversion platform for dairy alternative and bakery applications. The move supports a new way to produce fats that are domestically manufactured and separated from concerns associated with conventional plant and animal farming.

AAK has also made an equity investment in Savor. The Sweden-headquartered company brings its formulation expertise and commercial infrastructure in plant-based oils and fats to the partnership. Savor will offer its Carbon Crafted platform to create what it describes as “unique specialty fat solutions” during the project.

“Savor’s technology platform opens a new source of saturated fats, decoupled from agriculture and traditional supply chains, with a strong sustainability profile. In addition, these fats can be designed together with AAK’s plant-based oils for a vast array of functionality and solutions,” says Kim Olofsson, global head of R&D at AAK.

While the agreement focuses on the EU and US markets, the companies will also target broader global opportunities.

Addressing F&B sustainability targets

The fat substitutes are also touted by the companies for their sustainability benefits, as F&B companies increasingly focus on factors like emissions data linked to their operations. They are said to potentially require 1,000 times less land use and up to 98% lower carbon emissions than their conventional counterparts.

Savor’s carbon-to-fat technology platform can produce fat substitutes requiring up to 98% lower carbon emissions than their conventional counterparts.This is important as livestock supply chains (including milk, meat, and eggs) account for nearly 14.5% of global anthropogenic GHG emissions, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

“Food and CPG manufacturers are under real pressure on two fronts simultaneously — supply chain stability and the need to reduce the environmental footprint of key ingredients,” says Chiara Cecchini, SVP of commercialization at Savor. “This collaboration provides a compelling answer to both in front of customers who need it most.”

Advancing alt-dairy and bakery innovations

Savor uses a proprietary technology involving heat and pressure to turn carbon gases like carbon dioxide and methane into products like butter.

The resulting fat substitute can match the performance characteristics of “virtually any type of fat — from animal fats and dairy fats to vegetable oils, tropical fats, and even specialty oils used in cosmetics,” Savor’s CEO Kathleen Alexander previously told Food Ingredients First.

With this latest collaboration, Savor and AAK will focus on the fat’s applications in dairy alternatives and bakery products. These categories depend heavily on fats for taste, texture, structure, and overall consumer experience.

While dairy alternatives need fats for creating creaminess, mouthfeel, and flavor, bakery products are dependent on them for texture, softness, and performance during production.

Ronald van der Knaap, global head of Dairy, Early Life Nutrition, and Savory at AAK, emphasizes that the specialty fat solutions unlocked by the AAK-Savor collaboration address a market need across the food industry.

“Beyond supply chain resilience and sustainability, we will create applications with great taste and texture for our customers within two very important segments, and in this way, ticking all the boxes and improving the overall consumer experience.”

As Savor and AAK advance the Carbon Crafted fat platform, the wider alternative fats space is gaining momentum across F&B. Microbial and other next-generation lipids are emerging as tools to help manufacturers improve functionality and nutritional profile of fat ingredients.