Oleon, founded in 1835 under the name Des Bougies de la Cour has become and European leader in oleochemicals over the years.
To echo the words of our CEO, Moussa Naciri, “As a company, we remain driven by customer intimacy and sustainability. We can only thrive if we build long-lasting relationships with all our partners. That is what Oleon’s natural chemistry is all about.”
This philosophy is certainly reflected in three of 2023’s highlights listed below.
Investment in enzymatic esterification
In June 2023, we opened the doors to our future-oriented enzymatic esterification plant to produce sustainable oleochemicals at Oelegem in Belgium. Our aim? To ‘act now for a future impact.’ At Oleon, we understand how important it is to adapt and transform our processing to limit negative environmental impacts – both in the short and long term.
With our new enzymatic esterification plant, we have taken a massive step in cementing our commitment to building on greener chemistry and developing a more sustainable European chemical industry together with our partners.
What makes production with enzymes so innovative is the use of natural building blocks during processing – as opposed to chemical catalytic systems. This allows us to drastically reduce the working temperature within the plant using less energy and therefore investing in a carbon-neutral future. The new technology ensures less waste during production by up to 60%. This is how we ACT for a sustainable future.
Launch of ACT portfolio
Moving product manufacturing from a chemical catalytic system to one that embraces enzymatic esterification, during both up-and downstream processing, enables a wide range of benefits for brands looking to develop products that put the environment first in the beauty and personal care industry.
We are delighted that we can now offer our clients a range of products for customers seeking to create greener products while maintaining high-quality standards.
The two Oleon products within the ‘ACT’ product range are Isopropyl Palmitate, known commercially as Radia® 7199ACT, and Isoamyl Laurate or Jolee® 7749ACT.
Both Enzymatic Isopropyl Palmitate and Enzymatic Isoamyl Laurate are esters that now offer a lower reaction temperature and pressure than conventional chemical reactions. This has a significant impact on lowering a manufacturer’s environmental footprint, in addition to offering higher purity, while increasing overall product quality.
A new era of partnership
January 2024 will see the official transition of our sister company Kerfoot, manufacturer and supplier of natural and organic oils to the beauty and nutrition industries, to the Oleon brand. For Oleon, this means that we are able to offer our customers a wider product with a new brand of natural and specialty oils.
Kerfoot, the leading manufacturer and supplier of natural and organic oils in the UK currently exports products to 40 countries with a volume of 100,000 tons per annum through its four sites in Yorkshire, UK.
As both companies are historically part of Avril, this move is seen as a natural evolution and an excellent move for the UK team as it will enable Kerfoot’s authentic oils and custom blends to grow and flourish beyond the UK and European markets. It is estimated that Q1 will see the full transition to Oleon completed. Watch this space for further updates!
2023 was an exceptional year for the Oleon Health and Beauty team, and we celebrated many highs. We look forward to 2024 and bringing you new and innovative products and sustainable solutions that can transform your products.
For more information on our focus on offering products with a greener chemistry positioning or to talk to one of our experts about your requirements, contact our team today!
