Upcycled Cleaning Power: Food Waste-Derived Sophorolipids Outperform Market Standards

AmphiStar launches the first fully waste based biosurfactant to market. AmphiStar uses food (processing) waste as a sustainable feedstock for the fermentative production of sophorolipids, a class of biosurfactants known a.o. for their cleaning properties. The sophorolipids were purified and subjected to formulation studies and application tests. The food waste-derived sophorolipids exhibited not only good cleaning properties, but outperformed commercially available sophorolipid 1G references. Compared to market reference 1G sophorolipids produced from sugar and vegetable oil, the food waste-derived sophorolipids boast a life cycle assessment exceeding 50 % reduction in environmental impact related to climate change. Needless to say they also outperform fossil- and palm oil-based surfactants at an average of 35% reduction. This research highlights the potential of food waste-derived sophorolipids as sustainable alternatives with excellent cleaning potential, paving the way for a future of eco-friendly cleaning solutions. Presented by AmphiStar.