Swedish specialty fats company AAK will apply its patented dry fractionation technology on a commercial scale for the first time at Nura Specialty Oils and Fats, a joint venture with Malaysian producer KLK under construction in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia, Green Queen reported on 6 October. The plant will make palm mid-fractions, a core ingredient of cocoa butter equivalents used in chocolate and confectionery.
AAK entered the joint venture a year ago, committing 300 million Swedish kronor, about $30 million, over three years. Construction began in August; the plant is expected to start ramping up in 2028, with full production planned for 2029. The company says Nura will secure high-purity feedstock and widen its supply base for its chocolate fats business.
"Taking this technology from a research project to commercial production is an important milestone for AAK," said Jeppe Lindegaard Hjorth, its head of process development. Alexander Perlaky, strategy and projects director for Europe, said the process could also be used in other business areas.
The move comes as chocolate makers face pressure on cocoa. Green Queen notes that global cocoa stocks fell to a decade low and prices hit a record in 2024, and that extreme weather is damaging harvests. AAK sells cocoa butter equivalents under its Illexao range, which can partly or fully replace cocoa butter and, the company says, improve bloom stability, melting point and shelf life.
Other companies are pursuing cocoa butter made by precision fermentation, oleaginous bacteria or plant cell culture, while AAK's route builds on fractions of palm oil; the company calls Nura the first deployment of its process and sees strong potential for it.
Source: Green Queen
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