Project description
Converting CO2 into sustainable food components
The European food industry is facing the pressing issue of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil and agricultural resources while delivering sustainable and nutritious food to consumers. The EU-funded FERM4FOOD project is demonstrating how CO2 emissions can be converted into sustainable food ingredients using microbial precision fermentation technology. Specifically, CO2 from a brewery is transformed into safe, regulatory-compliant ingredients and validated in two vegan consumer products: a barista beverage and a functional beauty food pouch. By combining research and industry expertise, the project is paving the way for circular business models and an open digital platform for broader adoption, supporting the EU Farm to Fork strategy by accelerating climate-neutral, resource-efficient and resilient food systems.
Objective
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 will be converted via advanced fermentation and downstream processing routes, ensuring food-grade purity, safety, and regulatory compliance. The resulting ingredients will be validated by their formulation into two innovative vegan consumer products—a protein-rich barista beverage and a functional beauty food pouch—demonstrating nutritional, functional, and market acceptance (through consumer panels).
The FERM4FOOD approach integrates advanced digital twin, life cycle (LCSA) and techno-economic assessment (TEA) to ensure process efficiency, and regulatory compliance, while supporting scale-up and replication. Digital twins will enable real-time process optimisation and modelling, while integrated LCSA and TEA will provide robust data on sustainability, resource use, and economic viability, guiding decision-making for industrial deployment and replication across diverse food sector settings.
FERM4FOOD unites partners from research and industry to deliver new circular business models and an open-access digital platform for broader adoption. The project directly supports the objectives of the Horizon Europe Farm2Fork Work Programme by enabling climate-neutral, resource-efficient, and resilient food systems, contributing to EU leadership in sustainable biomanufacturing and the transition to a circular bioeconomy.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies food technology
- engineering and technology industrial biotechnology metabolic engineering
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules
- social sciences economics and business economics bioeconomy
- engineering and technology industrial biotechnology bioprocessing technologies fermentation
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.6 - Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.6.5 - Food Systems
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL6-2025-02
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
46980 Paterna Valencia
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.