In 2022, Photo voltaic Meals’ novel microbial protein Solein – constituted of CO2, air, and electrical energy – acquired regulatory approval from the Singapore Meals Company (SFA).
Lower than a 12 months 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 through a tie-up with Finnish FMCG firm Fazer.
The limited-edition ‘Fazer Style the Future, powered by Solein’ bar is obtainable at chosen The Cocoa Timber confectionery shops in Singapore.
Photo voltaic Meals is leveraging the collaboration to acquire ‘beneficial 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 shopper acceptance of the novel ingredient.
What’s ‘protein constituted of 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
utterly decoupled from photosynthesis and agriculture manufacturing.
Solein is commonly described as being ‘constituted of air’. Digging deeper into its manufacturing reveals no less than three components 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 power, respectively.
Trying to its diet credentials, Solein is taken into account an entire protein, that 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 exchange present proteins in drinks, noodles and pasta, breads and spreads, and various dairy. This latter class was examined through 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 typically missing in plant-based meals.
Being impartial in style, Solein doesn’t negatively affect the bar’s snack profile, that means there isn’t any have to masks its flavour. The truth is, in keeping 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 growth 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 shopper suggestions for wider launches
Photo voltaic Meals shouldn’t be the one occasion in search of buyer suggestions from the limited-edition launch. Fazer, too, goals to gather shopper suggestions in Singapore to develop the product additional, Anttila revealed. In Singapore the snack bar shouldn’t be on the market, however accessible as part of ‘open tastings’ in addition to a part of a bundle provide – that means that if customers purchase two Fazer Chocolate containers, they may obtain a Style the Future bar totally free.
Fazer can 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 advised. “We’re ready for this to occur on the finish of 2025.”
Within the meantime, Photo voltaic Meals continues to work on its first industrial manufacturing facility, Manufacturing unit 01 in Vantaa, Finland, which can take Solein to industrial scale. Manufacturing unit 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 world wide, with an EFSA novel meals nod anticipated by the tip of subsequent 12 months. “Our shared goal extends past this pivotal second, concentrating on a wider scale European launch in 2025-2026 with a complete vary of product,” mentioned Photo voltaic Meals’ Vainikka.
