Swedish biotechnology company Melt&Marble has reached two regulatory milestones while expanding its leadership team as it prepares for commercial launches in the food and personal care markets. The developments mark a shift from product development to market entry for the company’s fermentation-derived fats and oils.
The Gothenburg-based company confirmed that its MeltyMarble ingredient has achieved self-affirmed GRAS status in the United States, enabling commercial sales in the market. At the same time, its Marble7Ⓡ lipid for personal care formulations has received an International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient (INCI) name.
Designer fats developed through fermentation
Melt&Marble produces fats and oils through precision fermentation, using engineered yeast to create lipids with specific structural and functional properties. The approach allows the company to design ingredients intended to perform in targeted food and cosmetic applications.
The newly approved MeltyMarble fat was designed to mimic certain properties associated with animal fats. According to the company, the ingredient supports flavour release, melting behaviour, and mouthfeel in a range of products including alternative meat and dairy items, chocolate confectionery, baked goods, and snacks.
Unlike many plant-derived fats that can struggle to replicate these characteristics, the fermentation-derived lipid is structured to deliver specific sensory qualities. The company believes this will allow food manufacturers to improve texture and flavour delivery in finished products.
US market access through GRAS determination
The self-affirmed GRAS determination confirms that Melt&Marble has completed the safety assessment required for ingredients intended for human consumption in the United States. The designation follows a review of safety data, testing, and quality control processes.
With the regulatory pathway in place, the company can begin commercial sales in the US. Melt&Marble said the development will support closer collaboration with American food manufacturers interested in applying the ingredient across multiple product categories.
The fat was previously known as “MeatyMarble”. The company has renamed the ingredient MeltyMarble to reflect a broader set of applications beyond meat alternatives.
Personal care ingredient receives INCI name
In parallel with the food approval, Melt&Marble has also secured regulatory recognition for its cosmetic ingredient. The Personal Care Products Council has approved the INCI name r-Saccharomyces Butter for the company’s Marble7Ⓡ lipid.
An INCI designation is required for ingredients to be sold globally in personal care formulations. The approval allows Marble7Ⓡ to be incorporated into skincare products across international markets.
Marble7Ⓡ is described by the company as a soft solid fat that melts at skin temperature. The lipid also contains fatty acids that can contribute to specific skin benefits while improving the sensory properties of cosmetic formulations.
“Securing INCI approval and completing the extensive evaluation required for self-affirmed GRAS are two defining milestones for us.” said Paulo Teixeira, Head of Product at Melt&Marble. “We’ve developed these ingredients following various safety and characterisation assessments. With these approvals, we are well positioned to bring our ingredients to market for use by food and personal care brands.”
Expanding commercial and technical leadership
Alongside the regulatory developments, Melt&Marble has expanded its team with new hires focused on commercialisation and product application. The additions reflect growing engagement with customers as the company prepares its first product launches.
Juliana Mancini Gomiero has joined as Head of Business Development for Personal Care. She brings more than two decades of experience in marketing and commercial roles across the personal care sector.
Her previous roles include positions at Persán, L’Oréal and Natura & Co. At Melt&Marble, she will lead the development of the company’s go-to-market strategy and commercial partnerships in the personal care industry.
The company has also appointed Monika Malak as Senior Product Application and QC Scientist for Personal Care. Malak holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Gothenburg and specialises in skin cell biology.
Her work will focus on formulation development and validation of product claims. This includes building demonstration formulations and working directly with customers on the technical performance of the ingredients.
Preparing for initial product launches
Melt&Marble’s leadership says the regulatory approvals and team expansion represent a key stage in the company’s commercial development. The business recently completed a Series A funding round and is now preparing to introduce its first products to the market.
The company aims to supply fats and oils produced through fermentation that can replace ingredients currently sourced from petrochemicals, animals, or certain agricultural inputs. Its platform enables the creation of lipids with properties tailored to specific industrial uses.
These capabilities have attracted attention from both the food and personal care sectors. Manufacturers are increasingly looking for alternative ingredients that offer improved functionality while reducing reliance on traditional supply chains.
Anastasia Krivoruchko, Melt&Marble’s Co-Founder and CEO, said: “These milestones represent a significant step forward for Melt&Marble and underscore the strong progress our team has made across product development, regulatory readiness, and scale-up. With these achievements and our recent hires, we’re well positioned to launch our first product in personal care this year, while continuing to advance our food focused pipeline. Together, these efforts bring us closer to achieving our mission of delivering better, more sustainable fats and oils to the market.”
Precision fermentation as a production platform
Precision fermentation is gaining interest as a method for producing ingredients with defined molecular characteristics. By engineering microorganisms to produce specific compounds, companies can manufacture materials that may be difficult to source through conventional agricultural or petrochemical routes.
For Melt&Marble, the technology forms the basis of a platform for designing fats and oils suited to different industrial uses. The company’s work centres on modifying yeast strains so that they generate lipids with targeted melting behaviour, texture, and functional performance.
The recent regulatory approvals and recruitment of senior staff signal the company’s transition from research and development toward commercial deployment. Melt&Marble expects its first personal care product to reach the market later this year, with additional food applications under development.
