Consumer research by Oxford Brookes University found that Sun Bear Biofuture’s yeast-derived cocoa butter substitute is nearly indistinguishable from conventional cocoa butter, with participants only correctly identifying the alternative in one of five tested products, including food and cosmetics. Independent testing by the University of the Arts London’s Cosmetics Science Department confirmed no performance difference in a hand balm formulation. Sun Bear Biofuture, founded in 2022, uses precision fermentation to produce sustainable fats, addressing scalability and cost challenges by employing lower-cost brewery and dairy equipment. In 2024, it achieved a 78% cell lipid content, reducing production costs and eliminating harmful solvents. The startup aims to scale up industrial production by 2029, offering a climate-friendly alternative to cocoa butter, which faces supply threats due to deforestation, climate change, and rising costs. Other companies, such as Smey, Terra Oleo, Planet A Foods, Abydos Bioscience, and Celleste Bio, are also developing alternative cocoa butter solutions.
Source: Can You Tell the Difference Between Cocoa Butter & A Yeast-Derived Substitute?
