Robertet acquires Phasex to expand its extraction capabilities

The supplier of natural ingredients for flavors and fragrances has signed an agreement to acquire Phasex, a pioneer in supercritical CO2 extraction, headquartered in North Andover, Massachusetts, USA.

Founded in 1981, Phasex focuses on three market segments: natural products, biopharmaceuticals and polymers.

Supercritical CO2 extraction technology enables the extraction of aromatic or functional ingredients from solid biomass or liquid feedstocks using supercritical carbon dioxide. Supercritical CO2 is more environmentally friendly than existing alternatives such as hexane, butane and ethanol. The supercritical process requires the use of pressure and temperature to reach the supercritical phase, where CO2 is between liquid and gas. In this phase, CO2 has a unique solubility ability and can therefore remove certain components from the matrix material.

Phasex has been at the forefront of this technology since its inception, from R&D and pilot to large-scale production. The company has 30 employees and has annual sales of between €5 million and €12 million ($5.44 million to $13.06 million) over the past five years. Robertet said he wants to double the company's revenues in the coming years, particularly by developing a new range of natural ingredients for flavors and fragrances.

The acquisition of a supplier that Robertet has been working closely with since 2018 will help the company strengthen its production capabilities and expand CO2 extraction capabilities to North American customers.

"The acquisition of Phasex is an important step forward for us. Robertet is now the first company in the flavors and fragrances industry to invest in CO2 extraction in North America, with a focus on high added value extracts for the flavor and nutricosmetics industries. By integrating Phasex's expertise, we will further consolidate our leading position in natural ingredients while developing more sustainable and efficient solutions for our customers. With this transaction, we strengthen our industrial base in North America, which is one of the key drivers to achieve our goal of reaching €1 billion in total sales by 2030," said Jérôme Bruhat, CEO of the Robertet Group.