New non-ionic surfactants in the form of polyoxyalkylene glycol hydroxy fatty acid derivatives or monoalkylated polyoxyalkylene glycol hydroxy fatty acid derivatives having a polyoxyalkylene/alkyl polyoxyalkylene chain with a chain-length of 25-455 repeating units and a specified substituent on the hydroxy position of the specified hydroxy fatty acid, according to the general formula (I) CH3—(CH2)x—CH—(CH2)y—CO—[—O—R3—]z—O—R1 R2—O (I); wherein for example R1 is methyl, R2 is optionally substituted C14-C22 acyl, alkyl, or alkenyl, R3 is ethylene, x is 2-12, y is 7-17, (x+y) is 3-19 and z is 25-57; advantageously prepared by involving an enzymatic process, formulations comprising them, their use as solubilizers and a process involving a hydrolytic enzyme for preparing them.