Researchers at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh have secured £239,000 in Scottish Government funding to expand development of Palm-Alt, a replacement ingredient for palm shortening, margarine and butter in bakery applications.

The product addresses two industry challenges: reducing saturated fat content in baked goods whilst providing a more sustainable alternative to palm-based ingredients.

Product composition and performance

Palm-Alt is formulated from rapeseed oil, fibres and proteins. The clean label ingredient can be manufactured both locally and at scale globally.

Initial trials at the university demonstrated that biscuits, cakes and bread made with Palm-Alt maintained their texture, flavour and colour. The team has since moved testing into industrial manufacturing settings, with successful results when incorporated into partners' existing product lines.

The ingredient contains up to 25% less total fat and 89% less saturated fat compared to palm shortening. Its local production potential reduces transport-related emissions and avoids the deforestation impacts associated with palm cultivation.

Industrial trials and commercialisation

The research team, led by Dr Julien Lonchamp and Catriona Liddle from QMU's Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation, has completed seven years of development work. Commercial trials have been conducted at Opportunity North East SeedPod, Scotland's food and drink innovation facility in Aberdeen.

Edinburgh Innovations is managing patent protection and commercial development, with licensing discussions currently underway with several UK food manufacturers.

The latest funding will support development of an extended Palm-Alt range to enable applications beyond standard bakery shortening, including pastry and confectionery products. The team is working with partners across the supply chain, from ingredient producers to finished goods manufacturers.

Global food manufacturers expressed significant interest in the product when initial results became public in 2023. The university reports continued enquiries from companies seeking alternatives to palm-based ingredients that meet both health and sustainability criteria whilst maintaining functional performance in production.