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Protein Grown with Gasses & Electricity Gets Approval in Singapore
A microbial protein-rich powder containing all the essential amino acids and tipped as one of the most significant alternative proteins for future food has received approval to be used across various food applications in Singapore.
The regulatory approval for the novel food, given by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), allows for the sale of food products containing Solein. The highly sustainable protein is planned to begin commercial production and sales in 2024.
Finnish food-tech company Solar Foods submitted a novel food dossier on Solein for SFA’s consideration in September 2021. Solein is produced using a bioprocess, where microbes are fed with gasses (carbon dioxide, hydrogen and oxygen) and small amounts of nutrients. Solein is 65-70% protein, 5-8% fat, 10-15% dietary fibers and 3-5% mineral nutrients. The macronutrient composition of Solein cells is very similar to that of dried soy or algae. It provides iron and B vitamins and is considered exceptionally functional. Solein can be used with a wide variety of other ingredients: it vanishes into foods and doesn’t change the taste of familiar, everyday food products.
Pasi Vainikka, Co-founder & CEO of Solar Foods said: “This greenlight paves the way for further approvals worldwide. This is an amazing achievement by our team. It is a multidisciplinary scientific endeavour to achieve something like this. It is the first-ever novel food disconnected from the limits of traditional agriculture. This type of production method has the potential to transform the sustainability, availability and transparency of what we eat and where food can be produced. We have submitted our dossier on Solein not only in Singapore but also in many other countries and regions and are aiming to be global.”
The production of Solein is not reliant on agriculture, weather or climate; it can be produced in harsh conditions such as deserts, arctic areas and even space. The process does not require animals or photosynthetic plants.