Revolutionising functional food ingredients from industrial CO₂

The European food and drink industry is responsible for approximately 15% of the EU's total industrial CO₂ emissions — over 100 million tonnes annually — while remaining heavily dependent on fossil- and land-intensive inputs. Meanwhile, technical, economic, regulatory and societal barriers still stand in the way of scaling up CO₂-based food ingredients: integrating capture and fermentation at industrial scale is complex and capital-intensive, regulatory frameworks for GMO-derived food-grade ingredients remain strict and fragmented across the EU, and market adoption requires cross-sectoral engagement and demonstrated consumer acceptance.

FERM4FOOD aims to revolutionise the production of functional food ingredients by demonstrating the first integrated, scalable EU platform that converts industrial CO₂ emissions into high-value, food-grade ingredients through precision fermentation with genetically engineered microorganisms. Targeting lactic acid, single cell protein and microbial oils, FERM4FOOD addresses the urgent need to decarbonise the European food sector and reduce dependence on fossil and agricultural resources.

At demonstration scale (TRL7), real CO₂ emissions captured from a brewery are converted via advanced fermentation and downstream processing routes, ensuring food-grade purity, safety and regulatory compliance. The resulting ingredients are validated through their formulation into two innovative vegan consumer products — a protein-rich barista beverage and a functional beauty food pouch — assessed for nutritional, functional and market acceptance through consumer panels.