Cleanfood
23 employees on LinkedIn · 5 known investors
Clean Food Group develops CLEANOil, a sustainable alternative to traditional agricultural oils and fats produced via its CLEANOilCell fermentation technology platform, using food waste as a feedstock. It supplies drop-in oils and fats to food and cosmetics manufacturers as a lower-emission replacement for products such as palm oil.
Also known as CFG · Clean Food Group
Investors · 5
Also in the syndicate · 3
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Clean Food Group (CFG) is a UK biotechnology manufacturer that produces oils and fats through yeast fermentation using food waste as feedstock, targeting the food, cosmetics and pet food industries. Its proprietary CLEAN OilCell technology platform underpins a product range that includes CLEAN Oil 40, CLEAN Fat 50 and CLEAN Protein+ for food applications, CLEAN Oil 25 for cosmetics, and CLEAN Oil 25 and CLEAN Protein+ for pet food. The company positions its products as drop-in, cost-competitive substitutes for traditional agricultural oils such as palm oil, soybean oil, cocoa butter and milk fat, claiming greater than 95% lower greenhouse gas emissions versus agricultural oils.
The company was founded in 2022 following eight years of prior research, and describes its manufacturing process as validated at commercial scale. In September 2025 it acquired a one million litre fermentation manufacturing facility in Knowsley, Liverpool, which it says makes it the world's largest manufacturer of yeast-derived oils and fats. CFG reported strategic and industrial collaborations with global FMCG and ingredients manufacturers and a demand pipeline for its products; as of April 2026 it was pre-revenue, having reported a loss of approximately £1.4 million and net assets of £3.1 million for the year ended 31 December 2024.
Founding story
Clean Food Group was founded in 2022 following eight years of prior scientific research, and is co-founded by Alex Neves (Chief Executive Officer) and Darren N. Nesbeth (Technical Adviser).
Business model
CFG manufactures functional oils and fats via fermentation and supplies them as ingredients to food, cosmetics and pet food manufacturers, positioning its products at price parity with agricultural alternatives. It works through strategic and industrial collaborations with global FMCG and ingredients companies, including shareholder and industry partner Döhler Group.
Sale of fermentation-derived oil, fat and protein ingredients (CLEAN Oil, CLEAN Fat, CLEAN Protein+) to manufacturers. As of April 2026 the company was reported as pre-revenue.
Traction
Manufacturing process validated at commercial scale (100,000L+), more than 30 strategic collaborations with global FMCG companies per the company website, acquisition of a one million litre fermentation facility in September 2025, and regulatory approval of CLEAN Oil 25 as a cosmetics ingredient in the UK, US and Europe in 2025. The company remained pre-revenue as of April 2026 and had raised approximately £13 million in funding to date.
Latest developments
In April 2026 CFG confirmed a £4.5 million convertible loan note financing led by Clean Growth Fund and New Agrarian, with participation from existing shareholder SEED Innovations (£260,000) and continued support from Döhler Group, plus a £700,000 non-dilutive Innovate UK grant. The capital is intended to complete the scale-up of the Knowsley facility, expand production capacity and accelerate commercialisation.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
CFG describes itself as the world's largest manufacturer of yeast-fermentation-derived sustainable oils and fats for the food, cosmetic and pet food industries. It was ranked #200 in the Forward Fooding FoodTech 500 in the 2025 edition, having also appeared in the 2023 and 2024 editions. Cited market context includes a global sustainable food market valued at US$315 billion in 2024 and projected to reach US$524 billion by 2032 (6.7% CAGR), and a company-cited sustainable oils market value of $14 billion.
Drop-in, cost-competitive products at price parity with agricultural alternatives; production from food waste rather than tropical or agricultural supply chains; regulatory approval of CLEAN Oil 25 as a cosmetics ingredient in the UK, US and Europe; and one million litres of owned fermentation capacity.
Technology
The CLEAN OilCell platform uses scalable yeast strains and fermentation to convert food waste feedstocks into oils and fats. The company states the process is validated at commercial scale in volumes above 100,000 litres and delivers more than 95% lower greenhouse gas emissions than agricultural oils. Its Knowsley, Liverpool site provides one million litres of fermentation capacity.
Go-to-market
Direct engagement with global FMCG, ingredient and cosmetics manufacturers through strategic and industrial collaborations, supported by industry events — the £4.5 million financing was announced at the company's in-cosmetics Global debut in Paris — and media coverage including The Times and Sunday Times.
Global food, cosmetics and pet food manufacturers, including large FMCG and ingredients companies.
Geography
United Kingdom-based, with a fermentation manufacturing facility in Knowsley, Liverpool; listed in startup directories as based in London. Products serve global food, cosmetics and pet food markets, with cosmetics ingredient approval covering the UK, US and Europe.
History
Founded in 2022 on the back of eight years of research, CFG developed its CLEAN OilCell fermentation platform and validated manufacturing at commercial scale. In September 2025 it acquired a one million litre fermentation facility in Knowsley, Liverpool, and in 2025 obtained approval for CLEAN Oil 25 as a cosmetics ingredient in the UK, US and Europe. In April 2026 it announced a £4.5 million convertible loan note financing led by Clean Growth Fund and New Agrarian, alongside a £700,000 non-dilutive Innovate UK grant, to complete the scale-up of the Knowsley site.
Risks & controversies
The company was pre-revenue as of April 2026, reporting a loss of approximately £1.4 million and net assets of £3.1 million for the year to 31 December 2024, and remains dependent on external financing to complete the scale-up of its Knowsley facility. The April 2026 financing is structured as unsecured convertible loan notes carrying a 12% annual coupon maturing in August 2027, convertible at a 20% discount to a future equity raise or sale price, or at 16.5 pence per share at maturity.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 5
launches, deals, and filingsCFG confirmed a £4.5 million financing structured as a convertible loan note, led by Clean Growth Fund and New Agrarian, to complete the scale-up of its Knowsley fermentation facility, expand production capacity and accelerate commercialisation. The CLN carries a 12% annual coupon, matures in August 2027, and converts at a 20% discount to a future equity raise or sale price, or at 16.5 pence per share at maturity. SEED Innovations committed £260,000; existing shareholder Döhler Group also expressed support.
CFG secured a £700,000 non-dilutive grant from Innovate UK, announced alongside its £4.5 million convertible loan note financing.
CFG acquired a one million litre fermentation manufacturing facility in Knowsley, Liverpool, which the company says makes it the world's largest manufacturer of yeast-derived oils and fats and fast-tracks commercialisation.
Clean Food Group placed #200 in the 2025 FoodTech 500 ranking, having also been ranked in the 2023 and 2024 editions.
The company's CLEAN Oil 25 product received regulatory approval for use as a cosmetics ingredient in the UK, US and Europe.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structureCompanies House · registry record
View on Companies House ↗- Registered name
- CLEAN FOOD GROUP LIMITED
- Company number
- 12277233
- Status
- Active
- Company type
- Private limited company
- Incorporated
- 23 Oct 2019
- Registered office
- 159 High Street, Barnet, EN5 5SU
- Nature of business (SIC)
- 46450 — Wholesale of perfume and cosmetics72190 — Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering
- Previous names
- EDEN SKINFOOD LTD (2019–2021)
- Accounts
- last made up to 31 Dec 2025 · next due 30 Sept 2027
- Confirmation statement
- last made up to 13 Feb 2026 · next due 27 Feb 2027
Current officers · 6
- Connor Ian Duffy — director, appointed 18 Oct 2024
- Thomas George Ellen — director, appointed 2 Nov 2022
- Edward Peter Mcdermott — director, appointed 3 Feb 2022
- James Mellon — director, appointed 19 Aug 2022
- Alexander William Owen Neves — director, appointed 30 Oct 2021
- William Thurston — director, appointed 1 Aug 2022
Source: Companies House public register · retrieved 9 Aug 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Cleanfoodcleanfood.group · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Cleanfood do?
- UK biotech producing yeast-fermented oils and fats from food waste as alternatives to agricultural and tropical oils.
- Who are Cleanfood's investors?
- Cleanfood's investors include Agronomics, Clean Growth Fund.