The limited-edition snack bars were produced in Vantaa by Fazer. The Solein used in Fazer Taste the Future comes from Solar Foods’ pilot factory, capable of producing small quantities of the novel protein. Solar Foods’ first commercial-scale production facility, Factory 01, will begin operations in H1 2024 and scale the company’s annual production volume up to 160 tonnes. Assuming a single meal would use 20 grams of Solein, this translates to 8 million Solein-powered meals.
Solar Foods expects the growing production volume to enable the development and production of new Solein-powered foods. As commercial production comes closer, the Fazer Taste the Future snack bar represents a good test for future market roll-outs. Working together with Fazer comes at an excellent timing and adds to the momentum of Solar Foods, co-founder and CEO of Solar Foods Pasi Vainikka emphasizes.
“This is an exciting moment for us working with Fazer – the very first time people can try Solein® within a consumer snack bar. This demonstrates the potential of Solein also as a sustainable and nutritious fortifier. With this introduction in Singapore, we are getting valuable customer feedback on Solein’s viability in a new product category and also get a sense of the consumer acceptance of future ingredients. Our shared aim extends beyond this pivotal moment, targeting a wider scale European launch in 2025-2026 with a whole range of products,” Vainikka commented.
What is Solein?
Solein is a microbial protein-rich powder that contains all the essential amino acids. It can be used to replace existing proteins in a variety of foods, for example in alternative dairy and meat, different snacks and beverages, noodles and pasta, or breads and spreads. 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.
Solein is produced using a bioprocess where microbes are fed with gases (carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and oxygen) and small amounts of nutrients. The bioprocess resembles winemaking, with carbon dioxide and hydrogen replacing sugar as the source of carbon and energy, respectively.
Solein is 65-70% protein, 5-8% fat, 10-15% dietary fibres and 3-5% mineral nutrients. The macronutrient composition of Solein cells is very similar to that of dried soy or algae. Solein provides iron and B vitamins and is 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.
The production of Solein is not reliant on agriculture, weather, or climate: it can be produced in harsh conditions such as deserts, Arctic areas, even space. The process does not require animals or photosynthetic plants, making Solein the world’s most sustainable protein.
Solein will become available for commercial use for the first time. It is aimed at food brands looking for nutritious, functional, and sustainable protein ingredients of consistent quality that can be reliably delivered for their products. Singapore was the first market to grant Solein regulatory approval, but Solar Foods is also seeking authorisations in other markets across the world.
Factory 01 is Solar Foods’ first commercial production facility and will begin to produce Solein in 2024 in Vantaa, Finland. Factory 01 will take Solein production to commercial scale. Solar Foods has plans to expand its network of production facilities in the coming years.
About Solar Foods
Solar Foods produces protein using carbon dioxide and electricity. Solein® production, independent of weather and climate conditions, liberates global protein production from the constraints of traditional agriculture. Solar Foods was founded in Finland in 2017.
Solar Foods receives funding from the European Union as part of the European Commission’s Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI).
About Fazer Group
Fazer, The Food Experience Company, enables people to enjoy the best moments of their day. Our mission, Food with a purpose, builds on our strong 130-year heritage, consumer first approach and innovations to create the sustainable food solutions of the future. With our dedicated team of approximately 5,000 professionals, we focus on fast-moving consumer goods and our direct-to-consumer business in Northern Europe, and beyond with exports to some 40 different countries. Fazer’s operations comply with its Code of Conduct that is based on the Group’s values and the UN Global Compact. In 2022, Fazer Group had net sales of 1.1 billion euros.
Northern Magic. Made Real.
Source
Solar Foods, press release, 2024-01-18.
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