The company says that this will mean the initiation of production in large-scale commercial quantities, using 200,000 liter fermentation tanks at its production facility, which has been enhanced through the adoption of metabolic engineering.
Valencene is an orange flavor and fragrance which belongs to the terpene family of chemicals. Until the adoption of the new processing technology, the problem was that it could only be manufactured in minute qualities, make it more expensive and limited in supply.
Meeting quality and volume requirements
“Our capacity to produce valencene at this level means we can supply customers as much material as they need, on an ongoing basis, with consistent high quality,” said Carolyn Fritz, Allylix CEO.
Fritz pointed out that securing a stable supply of valencene has been a significant challenge in recent years for the fragrance and personal care industry, which has now been solved by the company’s investment in its manufacturing facilities.
Valencene is extracted from the peel of valencene oranges, making it a naturally-derived ingredient, which in turn explains its growing popularity on the back of the rise of natural cosmetic and personal care products.
Improving the extraction process
The traditional method of producing valencene is costly, mainly because the extraction process is relatively complex and because of the fact that the orange harvests can vary in volume.
Allylix claims that in the long-term, its fermentation process offers a stable supply of the extract, and what is even better is that it can produce it at approximately a fifth of the cost of the conventional process.
The biotechnology company says the fermentation process can be used to manufacturer other chemical extracts, including another terpene-based ingredient, nootkatone, a long-lasting citrus fragrance.