ECI lead: Dr Jing Zhang
CAROWIA explores how biotechnology can enable the sustainable production of functional food ingredients and support healthier, more resilient food systems - using precision fermentation to produce nutrients such as β-carotene, a building block for multiple high-value functional ingredients.
Co-led by the University of Oxford and Imperial College London, Carowia will develop microbial fermentation as a sustainable alternative for producing β-carotene, which is a vital nutrient for vision, immunity, and healthy ageing, and a building block for other high-value functional health/food ingredients. Current production methods for β-carotene are often fossil-based, land-intensive, or costly, whereas our high-purity Yarrowia lipolytica precision fermentation method, based on a yeast generally recognised as safe (GRAS), offers a year-round, flexible, and low-waste supply.
The project will optimise the fermentation process, assess its economic, environmental, health, and social outcomes at the food system level, and engage with manufacturers, regulators, and other key food system actors to co-design adoption pathways. The project is developed in partnership with 3Keel, bringing decades of operational expertise in the UK's sustainable food industry.
Together, these activities will explore how precision fermentation-derived ingredients can provide a more sustainable and clean-label alternative to conventional carotenoid sources. Expected benefits include more resilient and sustainable ingredient supply chains for the food industry, affordable nutrient access for consumers and public-sector food services, and alignment with the rising demand for functional and clean-label additives that reflect evolving consumer expectations and policy priorities.
Beyond β-carotene, the project will help establish a platform for wider functional-ingredient production, supporting skills, innovation, and sustainable growth across the sector, and contributing to more sustainable and resilient nutrition delivery within the food system.
