Ferment’Up, a product by Green Spot Technologies, uses the “magic of fermentation” to transform commercial food waste into nutritious and healthy alternative ingredients.
Food waste is a growing environmental and social issue that significantly contributes to climate change.
Every year, millions of tonnes of nutrient-rich by-products from commercial food processing are sent to landfills, even though discarded skins and peels often contain the most nutrition. In addition, growing traditional ingredients like cereals and cocoa has a large environmental impact. Cereals require intensive farming that depletes soil nutrients, while cocoa farming can lead to deforestation as tropical rainforests are cleared to plant new trees.
Co-founder Ninna Granucci has developed Ferment’Up, a range of sustainable, circular alternatives to traditional ingredients like flour, cereals, cocoa, and tomato concentrate. Using a dry fermentation process that is GMO-free, Ferment’Up transforms commercial food processing waste into valuable, sustainable ingredients.
Ninna, who completed her PhD in Biotechnology in New Zealand, saw a market opportunity for alternative ingredients and launched Green Spot Technology (GST) in France in 2018 to commercialise her patented Ferment’Up solution.
The dry fermentation process not only repurposes tonnes of food waste but also uses 60% less water than traditional wet fermentation methods. It further reduces carbon emissions by preventing waste from being sent to landfills. By reducing the need for crops to make ingredients, Ferment’Up also helps protect land from over-farming and environmental degradation.
Ferment’Up transforms spent grains from breweries, tomato skins, and apple peels into nutrient-rich powders. Their products include Ferment’Up Tomato, a sustainable alternative to tomato concentrate, and Ferment’Up Cereals, which can replace cocoa or chocolate in baked goods. These products are also high in fiber (60%), benefiting digestive and gut health.
Even before scaling, Ferment’Up has made a notable impact, diverting 150,000 kg of vegetable by-products from landfills and preventing 235 tonnes of CO2 emissions—equivalent to around 700 round-trip flights between London and Toulouse.
Ninna Grannucci, CEO of Green Spot Technologies
Ferment’Up has the potential to transform the food manufacturing industry if adopted by major producers. The global cocoa and chocolate market is projected to reach $68.2 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 437% from 2021 to 2030. GST has identified a strong market for Ferment’Up products and aims to commercialize them by 2025 and turn a profit by 2027. By 2030, they expect to achieve 0.9% market penetration, with projected revenues of €132 million and a profit of €80.68 million.
GST’s technology is proven and scalable, capable of producing 100,000 kg of product annually. With a €6 million Series A funding round currently in progress, winning the Earthshot Prize would help Ferment’Up expand its reach, unlock the potential of its factory, and encourage major food producers to adopt the dry fermentation process.
