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) CH.sub.3--(CH.sub.2).sub.x--CH--(CH.sub.2).sub.y--CO--[--O--R.sub.3--].su- b.z--O--R.sub.1 R.sub.2--O (I); wherein for example R.sub.1 is methyl, R.sub.2 is optionally substituted C.sub.14-C.sub.22 acyl, alkyl, or alkenyl, R.sub.3 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. ##STR00001##