Agronomics Limited (LSE: ANIC), the London-listed clean food investment company, announced on 13 November 2026 that its portfolio company Solar Foods has received a positive scientific opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for Solein®, its protein ingredient produced from carbon dioxide and electricity via gas fermentation. EFSA concluded that Solein is safe to consume under the proposed conditions of use, marking the first such opinion granted globally for a novel food ingredient made through gas fermentation. The development advances Solar Foods' path to commercialisation across the EU and is expected to accelerate offtake negotiations ahead of a final investment decision on its first industrial-scale production facility.

Key Points

  • Agronomics Limited (LSE: ANIC) is a London-listed investment company focused on clean food technologies
  • Portfolio company Solar Foods has received a positive EFSA scientific opinion for Solein®, covering selected food categories subject to European Commission final authorisation
  • Solar Foods expects the remaining EU authorisation process to take approximately 7–9 months; Agronomics has invested £5.2 million in Solar Foods, carried at approximately £6.4 million
  • Investors should watch for binding offtake agreements and the final investment decision on Solar Foods' Factory 02 industrial facility

EFSA Concludes Solein® Is Safe, Making Solar Foods First Gas Fermentation Company to Reach This Milestone

EFSA's positive scientific opinion follows an application submitted by Solar Foods to the European Commission on 29 October 2021, representing over five years of regulatory engagement and detailed scientific evidence submission. The opinion covers selected food categories and confirms Solein is safe under the proposed conditions of use. Solar Foods states it is the first company in the world to receive a positive EFSA opinion for a novel food ingredient produced through gas fermentation, a process that creates protein independently of agricultural land, weather, and commodity inputs — a differentiating factor relative to conventional plant- and animal-based protein ingredients.

European Commission Final Authorisation Expected Within 7–9 Months as Factory 02 Investment Decision Hinges on Commercial Progress

The application now moves to the final EU approval stage, where the European Commission will draft an implementing act for a vote by EU Member State representatives. Solar Foods has revised its previous expectation of full approval during 2026, now anticipating the remaining process to take approximately 7–9 months. No separate Member State authorisations will be required following approval. Solar Foods regards binding customer agreements and completion of its financing package as key prerequisites for a final investment decision on Factory 02, its first industrial-scale Solein production facility, meaning the EU regulatory timeline remains a critical commercial variable.

Agronomics' £5.2 Million Investment in Solar Foods Carried at £6.4 Million Against a EUR 7 Billion EU Addressable Market Estimate

Agronomics first invested in Solar Foods in September 2020 and has committed £5.2 million to date. The investment is currently carried at approximately £6.4 million, representing around 4.6% of Agronomics' most recently reported Net Asset Value of £139.5 million as at 30 September 2026. Solar Foods estimates Solein's 2030 total addressable market for protein ingredients in Health, Performance, and Functional Foods at approximately EUR 7 billion in the EU and EUR 11 billion in the United States, with estimated annual market value growth of 8%.

Solein Already Approved in Singapore and GRAS-Qualified in the US, Giving Solar Foods Three-Market Commercialisation Runway

Solein received novel food regulatory approval in Singapore in September 2022 and obtained an independent conclusion of Generally Recognised as Safe status in the United States in 2024, enabling US commercialisation. Solar Foods has also submitted a GRAS notification to the US Food and Drug Administration for further review. Executive Chairman Jim Mellon stated in the announcement that the positive EFSA opinion "removes a key regulatory uncertainty for Solar Foods and advances its path to the European market, alongside its existing routes to market in Singapore and the United States." Investors may be watching whether the EFSA milestone accelerates binding commercial agreements ahead of the Factory 02 investment decision.