By 2024, consumers will be able to enjoy bread, pasta, and various meats derived from plant-based protein cultivated from Solein powder – a product from the Finnish company Solar Foods. This protein powder is produced from single-celled organisms and common gases from the air.
Singapore will be the first country to introduce this protein powder to the market and will also be the first to approve this new food product.
Singapore is the first country to approve Solein protein created by the Finnish startup Solar Foods. (Photo credit: straitstimes.com)
According to Solar Foods, Solein protein powder is an invention that resulted from years of research by scientists seeking edible single-celled organisms from environments such as soil, mud, and forest land. The company did not specify the type of microorganism used, but stated that they would be fed gases like hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide to produce amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins – essential nutrients for humans.
Carbon dioxide and water will be harvested from the air through a process known as direct air capture. When an electric current is passed through water – through a process called electrolysis – the molecules will be split into hydrogen and oxygen.
Mr. Pasi Vainikka, CEO of Solar Foods, mentioned that the microorganisms will grow and react with the gases in a bioreactor to create Solein. After harvesting, the protein will be dried into a yellow powder. Solein powder contains a high protein content of 65-70% and includes all nine essential amino acids for the human body. The remaining protein substitute consists of fiber, fats, and other nutrients. Therefore, Mr. Vainikka stated that Solein powder has a sweet flavor reminiscent of meat.
Solar Foods submitted its application for market approval to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in September 2021, and the product was launched a year later following its assessment.
Currently, Solein is one of seven new food products imported and distributed by five companies in Singapore. The SFA reported that it evaluated Solein at three levels: the safety of individual components, the production process, and its compliance with Singapore’s food safety regulations.
Solein can be used as a protein source for dairy and meat alternatives, and also to enhance the protein content in snacks, beverages, bread, and pastries.
Speaking at the Global Agricultural Food Science Symposium held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre on October 27, Senior Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Koh Poh Koon stated that Solein is produced using a microbial process developed with carbon dioxide and renewable electricity. This allows the production process to be unaffected by weather and climate conditions.
Mr. Vainikka indicated that the protein powder has the potential to be “cultivated” in harsh environments like deserts, and could one day be used in spacecraft to provide food for astronauts.
The symposium, organized by the SFA and Nanyang Technological University, featured leading scientists and industry experts discussing ways to promote high-tech agriculture and emerging trends in the food sector for the future.
