Solar Foods: Protein from thin air debuts in the U.S.

Vantaa / FI. (sfo) Solein – the protein out of thin air – has made its debut in the United States, the second country in the world where this groundbreaking novel protein has become commercially available. The first tastes of the future of food were experienced in partnership with award-winning chef Greg Baxtrom and his New York City restaurant Olmsted, where he showcased the use of Solein in selected dishes.

(Photo: Solein Foods Oyj)

The United States is the second market in the world where Solein can be sold. In September 2024, Solar Foods Oyj obtained the so-called self-affirmed GRAS status (Generally Recognized as Safe). Solar Foods has now also registered its production facility Factory 01 in Vantaa, Finland, with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as fulfilled other applicable requirements for the commercialization of Solein in the United States. This has enabled the company to begin commercial activities on a key market.

«Entering the United States is a huge milestone for Solein. The US is one of the biggest protein-consuming markets in the world, with an extremely diverse food culture and consumer base in search of products to suit their dietary and nutritional needs. After the learnings we have received from test marketing in Singapore, we can’t wait to see the ways in which Solein will be used in the States,» says Chief Commercial Officer Juan Manuel Benitez-Garcia at Solar Foods.

«As Solein has now obtained the self-affirmed GRAS status in the United States, and as more chefs, food scientists and food industry professionals begin to explore the potential of the ingredient and discover new applications, the possibilities in food + beverages and nutrition are immeasurable,» Benitez-Garcia says.

Video: Solein Basics figured out in Finland

Tip: If the video does not load immediately, please refresh the page with »F5« (Source: Solar Foods Oyj via Youtube).

Nutritionally rich and culinarily extremely versatile, Solein can replace traditional proteins in a variety of foods without compromising taste. Unlike other proteins, Solein does not rely on agriculture at all. Its production requires only renewable energy, air, water and a small amount of minerals – the same ones a plant takes up from the soil with its roots. Solein is an exciting answer to many of the food production problems humanity faces. The proprietary platform technology used to produce Solein is disruptive: As the first ever food ingredient at this production scale, and one whose production is disconnected from the limits of traditional agriculture, Solein has the potential to greatly transform what we eat and where food can be produced, without consumers having to sacrifice the foods and flavours they are used to.

Bringing together taste, nutrition, easy use and sustainability, Benitez-Garcia sees virtually unlimited options for Solein to entice consumers in the US: «Solein is highly versatile: it can replace or complement animal and plant proteins in meat alternatives and replace dairy in ice cream, gelato, cheese and yogurt, where it provides a natural creaminess and mouthfeel. It can replace egg in pasta, noodles, mayonnaises and dressings, and because it is a fine dispersing powder, Solein can be used in soups, sauces or beverages to create a creamy consistency. These are all big product categories in the US, where many consumers are also interested in health and performance benefits. Solein can deliver protein and nutrition boost to for example sports nutrition and lifestyle products.»

The first tastes of Solein in the U.S.

The first tastes of Solein in the US were experienced at a special dinner in collaboration with Chef Greg Baxtrom at his award-winning New American restaurant Olmsted in New York. Chef Baxtrom is known for his seasonal and creative vegetable-forward menu, and he showcased his interpretation of how to use Solein in familiar dishes, with no compromise on taste. He used Solein in a four-course menu, the last two dishes being also his beloved signature dishes: Beer Battered Delicata Solein Squash Rings, Solein Brussels Sprout Spätzle, Solein Carrot Crepe and Old School Solein Chocolate Mousse. Solein dishes will be available at Olmsted until the end of November.

Chef Baxtrom was given a free hand to explore Solein and use his creativity to incorporate Solein into his cuisine and his beloved classics. In these dishes, Baxtrom replaced traditional dairy such as milk and butter, as well as egg yolk, with Solein. The end result – four delicious dishes – represents one way of what the future of food might be: consumers don’t have to sacrifice the foods and flavours they love since they don’t even taste the difference. This is where Solein’s impact on the whole food system lies.

Video: Tasting the future in Singapore 2023

Tip: If the video does not load immediately, please refresh the page with »F5« (Source: Solar Foods Oyj via Youtube).

Greg Baxtrom, who has gained culinary experience working in some of the world’s most exciting and innovative kitchens – including at Alinea in Chicago, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Per Se and Lysverket in Norway – is perfectly placed to introduce a novel ingredient in the US, and he was excited to take on the challenge. «Sustainability has always been a core value for us at Olmsted,» says Baxtrom. «Whether it’s creating a robust composting program or working with purveyors to showcase underutilized cuts of meat, employing sustainable practices is an important part of the work we do at the restaurant. When Solar Foods approached us to partner with them to be the first to launch Solein, we were excited. Our mission is very much aligned as we both look to the future of food.»

Olmsted has garnered awards including being named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America, Bon Appetit’s 50 Best New Restaurants in America, Food + Wine’s 2017 Restaurant of the Year, and listed in The New York Times «10 Best Restaurants in 2016», among others.

Giant leaps for the future of food

During 2024, Solar Foods has taken giant leaps ahead in commercializing Solein. Since launching Solein in Singapore in 2023, test marketing was done there with the launch of consumer products for example by the Finnish company Fazer and the Japanese food giant Ajinomoto. Solar Foods’ first production facility, Factory 01, started operations in April. An indicator of how truly innovative this discovery is, Solar Foods was selected by NASA as the international category winner of its Deep Space Food Challenge, an acknowledgement of Solein as a potential food source that can also be produced in space.

In September 2024, Solar Foods listed its shares on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland. The listing of Solar Foods will enable the company to grow its business to a global scale.