Spora joins €21.7M global consortium to develop sustainable “CO2-to-protein” foods

Denmark-based chef Rasmus Munk and his food innovation center Spora have joined an international project “Acetate to Food” to turn CO2 into protein-rich food. The initiative has received €21.7 million (US$25.3 million) in funding to develop sustainable foods that could feed “over a billion people every year.”

The consortium includes research institutions such as the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), Aarhus University, and Northwestern University (US), contributing to R&D, as well as food companies Topsoe, Orkla Foods, and Copenhagen Process.

Mads Bjørnvad, CSO for Spora, tells Food Ingredients First that the overall vision for the consortium is to develop a “new paradigm” for food production and security by transforming CO2 into nutritious food.

“Through converting CO2 to acetate and the use of fermentation, it’s possible to produce edible, high-quality proteins. The microbes that drive the fermentation can use acetate — instead of sugar — as fuel, this optimization and development of microbes to prefer acetate instead of sugar is delivered by partner Novonesis A/S.”

“Spora will take part in the project by developing a range of delicious, nutritious, and healthy food prototypes made from fermented proteins. The new foods should address market and consumer needs in both the Western and Global South.”

CO2 to cuisine

Bjørnvad explains that acetate itself can be made cheaply and sustainably from captured CO2 using electrochemical processes. These methods turn green electricity and captured CO2 into acetate, which can then be used to make food. 

Spora will develop nutritious food prototypes to advance the project’s aim of creating a new paradigm for food production and security, says Bjørnvad.“In this way, greenhouse gases can be transformed into valuable food resources such as protein. These processes are being developed and optimized by the partners Topsoe (Denmark) and Aarhus University (Denmark).”

This method of converting CO2 into protein differs from other alt-protein techniques since most processes for plant-based meat alternatives, fermented protein, and cultivated meat today “still depend on agricultural inputs (plants, sugars),” notes Bjørnvad.

“The only ones already integrating greenhouse gases (CO2 and Methane) and other gases are the gas-based fermentations. These are currently mainly used for single-cell protein production, where the biomass contains the protein.”

Taste, texture and nutrition hurdles

The biggest technical challenges in making acetate-fed microbial proteins into food include “securing deliciousness through taste and texture optimization,” underscores Bjørnvad.

“Secondly, we must ensure that the nutritional value and digestibility are good and healthy. Thirdly, the post-processing strategies to create appealing color, flavor, and functionality in food applications must be optimized.”

Spora performs the culinary transformation, and the various post-processing steps and digestibility studies are researched and developed by the University of Copenhagen, Food, headed by Prof. Remko Boom.

Testing “air-to-table” foods

The core technology was developed in phase one of the project (2023-2025), and phase two shifts the focus from science to food prototypes, involving chefs and food innovators like Rasmus Munk’s Spora.

The consortium has developed a platform that converts CO2 into acetate which is fed to microorganisms to ferment precision proteins without sugar.With consumer testing of actual prototypes of food products expected in the second half of 2026, Bjørnvad describes the “iterative approach” the team uses while developing them.  

“In this approach, tasting is a very important part of the test phase, to secure data and feedback from chefs and consumers about how they perceive and experience the food prototypes. This is used as input for further improvements and for choosing the further refinement, as well as for the final choices of prototypes.”

“Finally, based on consumer feedback and consumer insight studies performed by Spora and Orkla, we will choose the most relevant food prototypes for upscaling trials by Orkla.”

Bjørnvad also stresses the importance of consumer trust in such “air-to-table” foods. Clear messaging is needed to explain that these proteins come from natural fermentation, even if the process sounds “technological.” 

“Communication should highlight flavor and texture while showing respect for local food cultures, proving that this is not about replacing traditions but enriching them with a sustainable new ingredient.”

Toward a low carbon, resilient food system

Bjørnvad expects CO2-based protein to “fundamentally reshape the global food system” in the years ahead.

“By converting captured carbon into high-protein foods, we can significantly reduce the climate impact of protein production, which is currently dominated by crop production, livestock, and dairy with their high CO2 emissions and extensive land use.”

CO2-based protein offers a sustainable, secure supply to meet growing demand without expanding farmland. It also helps mitigate deforestation and land-use change.

Spora will combine culinary creativity and science to design sustainable foods for global dinner tables.He adds that the Acetate to Food project is “rigorously analyzing” these effects. Northwestern University is performing a Life Cycle Assessment and Techno-Economic Assessment to quantify carbon intensity, land and water use, and the economic feasibility of CO2-to-food processes.

Copenhagen University’s Department of Food and Resource Economics will develop and apply advanced global economic-environmental models to evaluate the transformative potential of the Acetate consortium’s technologies.

“I see these as critical steps toward integrating CO2-based proteins into a low-carbon, resilient food system,” notes Bjørnvad.

What’s next?

The next steps in the project will include Spora and Orkla Denmark conducting extensive market and consumer research to better understand market needs, consumer preferences, and perceptions of alternative proteins, says Bjørnvad.

“In addition, Spora will conduct research in India and Kenya to gain a broader perspective on food cultures and eating preferences in different regions of the world.”