A groundbreaking method of producing protein is promising to ‘feed the future’...
Can you imagine a world where we produce food out of thin air, independent of climate conditions and traditional agriculture?! This might sound like science fiction, but it’s becoming a reality and could be the answer to our global food sustainability challenge.
Solar Foods has developed a climate-friendly, protein-rich food called ‘Solein’, made from air, electricity and water, laced with bacteria. The production is similar to the fermentation process used to make beer, and can be used to produce food “in the desert, arctic, or even in space!”.
Solein is said to be 100x more climate-friendly than any animal or plant-based alternative, in terms of water use, land-use and greenhouse gas emissions. Notably, the production of Solein is 10x more efficient than soy, in terms of usable protein yield and requires 1,550 times less water to produce the same amount of beef.
Solein can be used as an ingredient in various dishes, such as yogurts, shakes, bread, and pasta. It can also serve as the protein in plant-based meat alternatives, and can even be 3D-printed to give it more texture.
The first commercial use of Solein is in the form of a gelato ice cream; it was launched in Singapore, where it was described as having “a very smooth texture and no difference in taste compared to regular ice cream”.
We might just be on the cusp of a future where nutritious food is literally produced out of thin air.
We might just be on the cusp of a future where nutritious food is literally produced out of thin air.
