Roquette and Solazyme to Kick-Start Microalgae Food Ingredients

Starch producer Roquette Frères (Roquette; Lestrem, France) has announced a joint venture with the algal biotechnology company Solazyme Inc. (San Francisco) to initiate what Roquette says will be “a new category of natural, healthy, and functional ingredients based on microalgae.”

Called Solazyme-Roquette Nutritionals, the partnership merges Solazyme’s microalgae technology with Roquette’s expertise in global food ingredient production. The project is expected to offer innovative proteins, fibers, and oils with “superior nutritional properties.”

Both companies will hold 50% ownership of the project which includes production, commercialization, and market development.

“Solazyme and Roquette share a very clearly-defined vision that microalgae will provide a major new class of food ingredients, and we enter this joint venture very enthusiastic about the future,” said Guy Talbourdet, CEO of Roquette.