On June 11 and 12, the kick-off meeting for the European project FERM4FOOD (Scalable CO₂-Based Precision Fermentation for Functional Food Ingredients), funded under the Horizon Europe program, took place at the Valencia Technology Park. This initiative promotes an innovative circular solution for the European agri-food industry: capturing CO₂ generated in industrial fermentation processes (such as those taking place in breweries, wineries, and bakeries) and transforming it into high-value food ingredients through precision fermentation.

FERM4FOOD will develop and validate, for the first time on a European scale, an integrated modular platform capable of producing three key ingredients from CO₂: lactic acid (LA), single-cell protein (SCP), and microbial oils (MO). To achieve this, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) optimized to maximize conversion efficiency will be used, combined with advanced purification processes to ensure the food-grade quality of the resulting products.

These ingredients will be used in the development of two innovative vegan-friendly consumer products: a protein-rich plant-based beverage for the barista channel and a functional “beauty food” formula for skincare. Both prototypes will be evaluated with real consumers as part of the project.

The European food and beverage industry generates approximately 10% of its CO₂ emissions solely through fermentation processes. FERM4FOOD directly addresses this issue, aligning with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork strategy, and the Food 2030 initiative, which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.

It is estimated that the project will reduce CO₂ emissions by at least 45% compared to conventional ingredient production methods, in addition to significantly reducing water consumption and land use. Furthermore, the creation and maintenance of 25 highly skilled jobs is anticipated.

The solution will be validated under real-world conditions at an Italian brewery (BALADIN, in Piozzo), where mobile fermentation units will demonstrate the technological and economic viability of the system at a pre-commercial scale.

INDUTEC/IDP, part of the Bureau Veritas Group, is participating as a key technology partner, contributing its expertise in engineering, digitalization, and digital twins. It will be responsible for developing the IDPTwin platform to model, monitor, and optimize processes, as well as supporting its industrial scaling. In addition, it will contribute to the analysis of the solutions’ sustainability and economic viability.

FERM4FOOD has a duration of 48 months and is part of the HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-14 call for proposals. It is coordinated by AINIA, a leading technology center in Spain in the food sector, and brings together 15 organizations from 8 European countries (including Spain, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany). The consortium covers the entire value chain, from genetic design to market validation, bringing together research centers, innovative SMEs, and leading companies in fermentation, engineering, and digitalization.