Late last year, Finnish-based Solar Foods had gained approval to sell Solein, a novel microbial protein, in Singapore.
Fico, a Singapore-based Italian restaurant, has made history recently by creating the world’s first Solein Chocolate Gelato, a dessert made with ingredients derived out of thin air. Solein is the world’s most sustainable protein produced by Finnish food tech company Solar Foods.
In May, Fico organised an invite-only tasting for its new gelato recipe, the Solein Chocolate Gelato, using the novel ingredient, which was later made available for general consumers from 15 June.
This also marks the first time in history that a food produced without any connection to photosynthesis and agriculture has been made available to the general public. It tastes almost similar to any dairy-based gelato but without using any animal-source ingredients.
Solein, by itself, has a mild aroma with notes of umami that hint at nuttiness and creaminess, and pairing it with an indulgent chocolate flavour has successfully elevated the taste.
The success in innovating ice cream using Solein shows the versatility of the novel ingredient to create all kinds of foods and recipes – sweet or savory. Fico restaurant’s new gelato is the first of many Solein-based foods that are expected to enter the market in coming years.
Already, Solar Foods had signed an agreement with Japan’s Ajinomoto group in May this year to form joint-collaboration in developing new products using Solein. Solar Foods first commercial-scale facility is now under construction in Finland to meet the growing future demand.
In summary, Solein is a microbial protein-rich powder that contains all the essential amino acids, and can be a protein alternative for a variety of food products from dairy to meat, confectionery, snacks and beverages. The macronutrient composition of Solein cells is very similar to that of dried soy or algae. Solein is manufactured using a bioprocess where microbes are fed with gases like CO2 , Hydrogen and Oxygen with small amounts of nutrients. The bioprocess resembles winemaking with CO2 and Hydrogen replacing sugar as the source of carbon and energy respectively.
