Nordic Bioproducts Group Wins Vitafoods Europe 2026 Innovation Award in Sustainability Category

ESPOO, Finland – [13.05.2026] – Nordic Bioproducts Group has been awarded the Vitafoods Europe 2026 Innovation Award in the Sustainability category for its breakthrough AaltoCell® technology and its transformative impact on sustainable microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) manufacturing.

The award was presented during the Vitafoods Europe 2026 Awards Ceremony on May 5, 2026 in Barcelona, recognizing innovations that demonstrate measurable sustainability impact. In addition to its sustainability benefits, AaltoCell® technology provides significant manufacturing and product performance advantages for nutraceutical applications, particularly in hard capsules.

Bringing Sustainability Innovation to Excipients

In the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries, innovation and sustainability discussions largely focus on active ingredients, while excipients often receive less attention despite their critical role in the functionality, manufacturability and quality of capsules, tablets and powder formulations.

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is one of the world’s most widely used excipients in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products. Conventional MCC manufacturing processes are resource-intensive, requiring substantial amounts of energy, water and chemicals.

Nordic Bioproducts Group’s patented AaltoCell® technology addresses this challenge by fundamentally transforming how MCC is produced.

World’s First Continuous MCC Manufacturing Process

The company’s commercial production facility in Lappeenranta, Finland, is the first facility in the world to utilize continuous MCC manufacturing with AaltoCell® technology.

Compared with conventional MCC manufacturing methods, AaltoCell® technology enables:

• 95% lower water consumption
• 90% lower energy consumption
• 69% fewer chemicals
• Up to 81% lower carbon footprint

 

The facility also operates using 100% certified renewable electricity, further minimizing the environmental footprint of production.

These sustainability improvements have been validated through a third-party Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), confirming a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 434.6 kg CO₂ eq per ton of MCC produced with AaltoCell® technology.

Sustainability Combined with Performance

The award-winning innovation is not only about sustainability improvements. AaltoCell® technology also delivers significant functional and manufacturing benefits for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.

The PURA SeriesTM Super Flow MCC grades produced using AaltoCell® technology combine:

• Exceptional flowability
• Optimized spherical granular particle shape
• High bulk density
• Ultra-low nitrite levels

 

These material properties provide significant advantages for hard capsule formulations, including improved active ingredient distribution, reduced capsule weight variation, compatibility with challenging active ingredients, and the potential for higher dosages or smaller capsule sizes.

In addition to end-product benefits, the technology also delivers major operational advantages for capsule manufacturers. Improved powder flow and reduced dust formation support smoother production runs, higher production yields and improved Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), while also reducing material waste, cleaning requirements and overall production costs.

The production facility operates under ISO 9001:2015 and EXCiPACT certification, supporting compliance with global excipient quality standards.

A Recognition for Long-Term Innovation Work

AaltoCell® technology originated from research conducted by Professor Olli Dahl at Aalto University, where long-term work in sustainable cellulose processing laid the foundation for the technology platform. The company also recognizes the important contributions of Olli Kähkönen and the entire Nordic Bioproducts Group team in bringing the innovation from research to commercial scale.

“This award recognizes our commitment to transforming excipient manufacturing through sustainability, process innovation and high-performance materials that create measurable value for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical manufacturers,” states Kalle Riihinen, COO of Nordic Bioproducts Group.

The Vitafoods Europe 2026 award recognition further strengthens Nordic Bioproducts Group’s position as a pioneer in sustainable excipient manufacturing and next-generation MCC technologies.

 

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For additional information:

Minna Laitinen
CCO
Nordic Bioproducts Group
minna.laitinen@nbg.fi