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The controversial ingredient the world can't quit

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Emily Leshner
January 19, 2026

A European biotech company is developing a lab-grown alternative to one of the world's most ubiquitous and controversial ingredients: palm oil. Does this firm have the potential to disrupt a growing $70 billion industry?

Palm oil is a key ingredient in everyday products, but its rapid global growth has fueled deforestation and biodiversity loss. In Colombia, producers and researchers are pushing for more sustainable practices, while a German biotech firm creates lab‑grown alternatives from yeast. As demand rises, experts say the goal isn’t to ban palm oil, but to diversify and make the industry more sustainable.

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