What if the future of skincare, fish feed, and green innovation started… with cheese? At ONE EARTH, we’re making it happen. How? By turning leftover cheese whey and CO₂ emissions into something extraordinary: PUFAs — polyunsaturated fatty acids that fuel health, nutrition, and sustainability.
Led by innovation powerhouse VITO, and powered by brilliant partners across Europe, this work is pushing circular bioeconomy to the next level.
What’s the Big Idea?
We’re building a cutting-edge biorefinery concept that:
- Turns dairy leftovers into valuable raw materials
- Recycles CO₂ instead of releasing it
- Creates PUFAs for fish feed, cosmetics, and nutraceuticals
- Reduces waste, emissions, and reliance on overfished marine resources
Yes, we’re literally feeding fish and fueling skincare — with cheese byproducts and CO₂!
What’s Happening Behind the Scenes?
STEP 1: WHEY BECOMES WONDER
We collect cheese whey from our partner Mambelli, and ferment it to produce VFAs (volatile fatty acids) — the building blocks for PUFA production.
STEP 2: MICROBES DO THE MAGIC
We introduce VFAs to specially selected bacteria and yeast that love to turn them into PUFA-rich microbial oils — like tiny bio-factories in action.
STEP 3: ALAGAE + CO₂ = PUFA BOOST
Instead of wasting carbon, we use it! Algae like Spirulina and Chlorella are grown on CO₂-rich gas, soaking it up while producing even more PUFAs. It’s green science in action.
STEP 4: BEAUTY GETS A BIO-UPGRADE
These oils are transformed into PUFA esters — premium ingredients for natural skincare and cosmetics. All with eco-friendly, enzyme-powered reactions.
STEP 5: SUSTAINABLE FISH FEED
We’re formulating and testing PUFA-rich fish feed for trout and seabass — replacing ocean-harvested ingredients with circular, land-based nutrition.
Why It Matters
This game-changing work helps us:
- Protect marine life by reducing the need for fish-derived PUFAs
- Cut emissions by using CO₂ as a resource, not a pollutant
- Eliminate dairy waste by giving whey a new, valuable life
- Support European innovation and SMEs in the green economy
This isn’t just biochemistry — it’s biorevolution.
With ONE EARTH, we’re showing that even a byproduct like cheese whey can help build a cleaner, smarter, and more circular world.