Image: Getty The natural ingredients company has acquired a sustainable US-based firm that works with supercritical CO2 extraction.
French ingredients company Robertet has acquired American CO2 extraction company Phasex to “strengthen its production capacity and expertise in North America.”
Phasex was a pioneer in CO2 extraction and focuses on natural products, biopharmaceuticals and polymers. The eco-friendly company also advocates for the use of supercritical CO2 extraction for a broad range of applications in the US market.
Supercritical CO2 extraction is an eco-friendly method for extracting high-quality aromatic or functional components from a solid biomass or liquid raw material. It uses supercritical carbon dioxide and is said to be a more environmentally friendly process than alternatives, such as hexane, butane and ethanol.
In this type of extraction, pressurised CO2 is pumped into a chamber that’s filled with plant material and the pressurised CO2 has liquid-like properties, while being in a gas state. During this phase, the CO2 has dissolving powers, which makes it possible to remove certain components from the substrate material.
Multiple US patents
Phasex has been a leader for this technology since it was founded and has secured multiple patents in the US covering various supercritical fluid applications. The company has unique capabilities: from performing R&D and pilot tests through to large-scale production.
Its annual sales were between €5m and €12m over the past five years and it now aims to double its sales in the coming years thanks to this new partnership.
Robertet said it has made this acquisition to accelerate its growth, by strengthening production capacities and extending the CO2 extraction for its North America customers; developing new ranges of natural ingredients for both flavours and fragrances, for example it plans to develop a new product range leveraging North American and South American biomass; reducing time to market, made possible by synergies between the two companies.
The French ingredients supplier has also made it clear that North America is one of its “target growth markets.” The group has been operating in the region since 1993. In 2023 it generated sales of €264m here and it accounts for 35% of the group’s global sales.
CEO of Robertet Group, Jérôme Bruhat, called it a “major step forward for us” and highlighted that Robertet is the first company in the Fragrances & Flavors sector to have invested in CO2 extraction in the North America market and that it had a “clear focus on high value-added extracts for both the Aroma and Nutricosmetics industries.”
By integrating Phasex’s expertise, we are further consolidating our position as a leader in natural ingredients as we develop more sustainable, efficient solutions for our customers,” he continued.
“Through this transaction, we have strengthened our industrial base in North America, which is one of the key drivers toward our goal of achieving €1bn in total sales by 2030.
Meanwhile CEO ar Phasex, John C. Quinn commented: “Thanks to the synergies between our teams, we will be able to meet the growing demands of our customers, while ramping up innovation in the natural products sectors.”