In 2022, Photo voltaic Meals’ novel microbial protein Solein – created from CO2, air, and electrical energy – acquired regulatory approval from the Singapore Meals Company (SFA).
Lower than a yr later the ingredient formally entered the market inside the confectionery class (the Solein Chocolate Gelato), and now Photo voltaic Meals is extending its attain into snacks by way of a tie-up with Finnish FMCG firm Fazer.
The limited-edition ‘Fazer Style the Future, powered by Solein’ bar is accessible at chosen The Cocoa Timber confectionery shops in Singapore.
Photo voltaic Meals is leveraging the collaboration to acquire ‘precious buyer suggestions’ on the ingredient’s viability in a brand new product class, defined CEO Pasi Vainikka, whereas extra broadly additionally getting a way of client acceptance of the novel ingredient.
What’s ‘protein created from air’?
Photo voltaic Meals was based in 2017 as a spinout from Finnish analysis centre VTT. The corporate claims to make the world’s most sustainable protein, which is
fully decoupled from photosynthesis and agriculture manufacturing.
Solein is usually described as being ‘created from air’. Digging deeper into its manufacturing reveals no less than three substances are used to make the novel protein: CO2, air, and electrical energy. Extra particularly, the protein is produced utilizing a bioprocess whereby microbes are fed with gases (carbon dioxide, hydrogen and oxygen), and small quantities of vitamins.
Vainikka has beforehand likened the bioprocess to that utilized by winemakers, however with carbon dioxide and hydrogen changing sugar because the supply of carbon and vitality, respectively.
Trying to its vitamin credentials, Solein is taken into account an entire protein, which means it incorporates all 9 important amino acids. The ingredient is made up of 65-70% protein, 5-8% fats, 10-15% dietary fibres and 3-5% mineral vitamins. The macronutrient composition of Solein cells is similar to that of dried soy or algae, with micronutrients together with iron and B nutritional vitamins.
Photo voltaic Meals claims Solein can be utilized to switch present proteins in drinks, noodles and pasta, breads and spreads, and different dairy. This latter class was examined by way of a partnership between Photo voltaic Meals and The Lo & Behold Group-owned Fico, an Italian seaside restaurant in Singapore, which noticed the event of Solein Chocolate Gelato in 2023. Solein, along with vegetable oils, changed dairy within the ice cream product.
What’s a ‘Style the Future’ bar?
And as is the main focus of the Photo voltaic Meals and Fazer tie-up, Solein can be used to spice up protein content material within the snacking class.
The 44g Style the Future bars had been handmade in Vantaa, Finland, and exported to Singapore. Every bar is made with 2% Solein protein, alongside a minimal of 70% darkish chocolate solids, dried strawberries, hazelnut and Nordic oat puffs. Though containing simply 15g Solein per 100g doesn’t formally make the chocolate snack bar ‘excessive protein’, it does make it excessive in iron – a micronutrient usually missing in plant-based meals.
Being impartial in style, Solein doesn’t negatively affect the bar’s snack profile, which means there isn’t a have to masks its flavour. The truth is, in accordance with Fazer, the presence of Solein enhances the bar’s flavour. The identical goes for the bar’s texture, defined Heli Anttila, VP, new product improvement at Fazer Confectionery.
“Solein doesn’t affect the feel of the snack bar. Solein is in powder format, and the snack bar incorporates [just] 2% Solein.”
Amassing client suggestions for wider launches
Photo voltaic Meals isn’t the one get together in search of buyer suggestions from the limited-edition launch. Fazer, too, goals to gather client suggestions in Singapore to develop the product additional, Anttila revealed. In Singapore the snack bar isn’t on the market, however obtainable as part of ‘open tastings’ in addition to a part of a bundle supply – which means that if customers purchase two Fazer Chocolate packing containers, they are going to obtain a Style the Future bar without spending a dime.
Fazer can also be excited by advertising the snack bar in different geographies, for instance within the EU. However earlier than this will occur the ingredient requires novel meals approval from the European Meals Security Authority (EFSA). This course of is ongoing, we had been informed. “We’re ready for this to occur on the finish of 2025.”
Within the meantime, Photo voltaic Meals continues to work on its first business manufacturing facility, Manufacturing facility 01 in Vantaa, Finland, which is able to take Solein to business scale. Manufacturing facility 01 will start operations in H1 2024 and scale the corporate’s annual manufacturing quantity as much as 160 tonnes. Assuming a single meal would use 20g of Solein, this interprets to eight million Solein-powered meals.
Certainly, Photo voltaic Meals additionally confirmed it’s in search of pre-market authorisations in different geographies all over the world, with an EFSA novel meals nod anticipated by the tip of subsequent yr. “Our shared purpose extends past this pivotal second, focusing on a wider scale European launch in 2025-2026 with a complete vary of product,” stated Photo voltaic Meals’ Vainikka.
