The need to search innovative solutions for food safety and sustainabilityhas led a team of Finnish scientists to create a edible protein from air and electricity. This innovative technology, developed by the company Solar Foodscould be a step forward towards the food of the future, as it offers a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional protein production.
The key lies in the use of microbes, small single-celled organisms that, under the right conditions, can convert simple elements into complex compounds such as proteins.
In this case, the microbes are fed carbon dioxide, hydrogen and minerals, using electricity from renewable sources to power the process. As microbes multiply, produce a protein rich in essential amino acidssimilar to that found in meat, eggs or milk.
The pioneering project comes from Solar Foods, a Finnish factory founded in 2017 by Pasi Vainikka and Juha Pekka Pitkanen. This innovative method allows “our main raw material for the microbe to be extracted from the air,” explained Vainikka, general director of the company.
The product resulting from this innovative process has been called “Solein”. It is a yellow powder with a hazelnut flavor, which can be used as an ingredient in a wide variety of food products.
According to studies carried out, Solein has a high nutritional value, comparable to that of proteins of animal origin. Additionally, its production generates significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional livestock farming.
A step towards a more sustainable future
The creation of Solein represents an important milestone in the search for sustainable solutions for the food of the future. This technology has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of food production, contributing to the fight against climate change and deforestation.
The scientists behind this breakthrough don’t stop there. Its vision is to expand the application of this technology to create a broader range of food products from microbesincluding fats, carbohydrates and even vitamins.
Solein is already available in limited editions, but full-scale production will begin soon with the opening of the world’s first factory in Finland. It is hoped that this will be the first step towards a new era in the food industry, where food production is more sustainable, nutritious and respectful of the planet.
#Air #cleats #create #edible #protein #air #electricity
