It doesn’t look particularly appetising – a mustard-yellow powder with the texture of starch – but the ingredient that has just made its global debut in Singapore is being touted as the latest breakthrough in food technology.
Produced from air, water, electricity and microbes by Finnish start-up Solar Foods, the substance can be used to make anything from bread to pasta. It had its first official tasting after the city-state approved the sale of products containing the ingredient last October.
The powder itself resembles turmeric and tastes like a light, nutty mix of cashews and almonds. It’s 65-70% protein, 5-8% fat and has a composition similar to that of dried soy or algae.
Solein, as it’s called, builds on a growing microbial fermentation trend. It’s made in a similar way as brewing beer. Instead of sugar, microbes feed on nitrogen and carbon dioxide, and begin to grow. Excess water is removed and then it’s dried, forming a powder.
The technology is gaining attention, even as investors cool on the broader alternative protein sector, given it has the potential to produce edible calories without farmland.
Crop giant Archer-Daniels-Midland is lending its heft, announcing a strategic partnership this month with California company Air Protein to build and operate a commercial-scale plant.
It will take “a couple of decades” for food-from-air production volumes to have a real impact on the world, Solar Foods chief executive officer Pasi Vainikka said.
“There’s a lot of interest and pull from the consumer, and that’s a positive.”
Solein won’t be widely available until 2024 at least when a small-scale proof-of-concept plant is fully operational.
The glacial pace of approvals is one factor slowing its rollout. Singapore is the only jurisdiction to have given Solein the green light. Approval in the European Union is not expected before 2025, Vainikka said.
For now, the Finnish firm is working with food companies and restaurants to incorporate the product in dishes, or as an alternative dairy ingredient. It’s also on a marketing blitz, releasing videos demonstrating the practical uses of Solein, including in ice cream and ravioli.
Solar Foods was a project spun out of a Finnish state-owned research institute in 2017.
The company has raised about €105 million ($186m) in funding from firms including Agronomics and CPT Capital.
It wants to raise more cash for a larger-scale commercial factory over the next three years.
