The acceptance of carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) for the organic cultivation of microalgae in the European Union

Algae have a lot of potential applications and have been named a key factor in the EU bioeconomy strategy aiming for a more sustainable and circular economy. However, the full potential of algae remains largely untapped, particularly in the EU where the cultivation of algae lags behind compared to other continents. One of the reasons for this is the strict novel food regulation making it harder for (micro-)algae to reach the EU market. The process of obtaining a novel food status is cumbersome and expensive. Furthermore, there is little historical use of (micro-)algae in the EU compared to other continents. Food labels can play an important role in the acceptance of new (novel) foods and the organic label, often associated with more sustainable and ecological products, can provide such a role. Until recently, organic autotrophic cultivation of microalgae was virtually impossible as carbon dioxide (CO2) was not allowed in the organic cultivation of microalgae but a recent change in the EU regulations now allows food grade CO2 to be used for the organic cultivation of microalgae. This opens the path to organic labelled microalgae.