Solar Foods

Summer is all about fresh flavours and beloved seasonal dishes. Our talented Solein® Kitchen chefs have curated a delicious three-course summer menu that’s sustainably enhanced with our Solein – without altering the classic tastes and textures. Take a look at our inspiring summer menu below 👇 #foodofthefuture #outofthinair #NextGenEU

Many have wondered about our endeavors in space. One question we often get is: What’s Solar Foods doing in space and whether Solein is a space food? The answer is that: 🌍 Primarily, Solein is meant to be enjoyed on Earth, but due to its production method and nutritional richness Solein is also excellently suitable to be suited as a space food for astronauts. 🚀 Space missions face a similar food-related challenge as arid or Arctic areas of our planet: maintaining a secure supply of nourishment in conditions where agriculture is not possible. In space, the possibilities to prepare food are extremely limited. At Solar Foods, we are solving this challenge by recreating our Solein bioprocess to fit smaller confines. The results so far show it can be done. Our Space & Resilience work aims to help take humanity deeper into space while developing Solein production for extreme conditions here on Earth. Solar Foods is taking part in the Deep Space Food Challenge by NASA and CSA, an initiative that works to find ways to produce food on space missions. In 2021, we were declared one of the international winners of Phase I of the challenge; in May 2023, we were among the winners of the challenge’s Phase II. We have also co-operated with ESABIC (European Space Agency Business Incubator) to study pre-feasibility for producing Solein during a Mars mission. In 2023 we were granted an European Space Agency – ESA contract under the ESA’s Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP) to address the design of critical subsystems for a space fairing Solein production system.

Did you know? Solein is something of a culinary chameleon. Solein’s mild and pleasant aroma combined with its various functional properties mean it can easily be added to a whole host of different products and dishes without disrupting their familiar tastes. Solein can be used to make mayonnaise and dressings, alternative meats and dairy, pasta or noodles, yoghurts and smoothies – and more. The novel ingredient brings nutrition and texture to the food, at the same time letting its natural tastes shine. #foodofthefuture #outofthinair #NextGenEU

One common question that comes our way is about our plans for the next factory. We’re happy to say that yes, we are already planning Factory 02. However, there are still many details that must be answered before it becomes a reality. 🟡 The insights and data we gather from our newly launched #Factory01 will play a crucial role in planning for future production facilities. 🟡 As Solein can be grown virtually anywhere on the globe, Factory 02 has the potential to be located anywhere on the planet. For more of your questions answered, please visit: solarfoods.com/qa. #foodofthefuture #outofthinair #NextGenEU

BBC Radio 4 visited our new headquarters recently. Sheila Dillon of The Food Programme had a tour of Factory 01, walked through the facility and its bioprocess, discussed the future of food and food production with our CTO Juha-Pekka Pitkänen, and finally sat down for a Solein® lunch menu with us.   Hear her thoughts on what visiting #Factory01 was like – and how she liked the tastes conjured up by our Solein Kitchen. 🔊: https://lnkd.in/dpM9SnQC #Solein #outofthinair #NextGenEU

The journey from pilot to commercial-scale production is not always easy for a startup. However, we have successfully navigated this path with the launch of our first commercial-scale production facility, Factory 01, which is expected to produce 160 tonnes of #Solein annually. Our CTO and Co-Founder Juha-Pekka Pitkänen, VP of Production Jouni Ahtinen and CSO Petri Tervasmäki recently sat down to discuss their insights from the journey of bringing Factory 01 to life. Discover more about the triumphs and trials of scaling up a startup and the process behind our groundbreaking Factory 01 👉: https://lnkd.in/d2fzgHPE #foodofthefuture #outofthinair #NextGenEU

Did you know? Solein is yellow because of carotenoids, which are naturally occurring in the micro-organism, Solein. Perhaps the best-known food containing carotenoids is the familiar carrot. In its cultivation stage, the Solein microbe multiplies in a liquid called the growth medium. At this point, it is a yellow liquid: as the excess water is removed and then dried, Solein turns into a fine powder – still retaining its yellow colour. #foodofthefuture #outofthinair #NextGenEU

Welcome to the heart of Solar Foods' headquarters - our Solein® Kitchen! This is where culinary magic happens as our chefs explore the potential of Solein in diverse dishes. It’s also the place we get to taste Solein and our stakeholders get a first-hand experience of the transformative power of Solein. #foodofthefuture #outofthinair #NextGenEU

Did you know? Electrolysis technology, that uses electricity to split water into oxygen and hydrogen, is a process that can be described as converting electricity "from wires into gases”. We have equipped Factory 01 with an on-site electrolyser to produce green hydrogen, one of the central ingredients in the production of #Solein. In our process, this hydrogen gas is transformed into the currency of metabolism: microbial cells use the hydrogen as energy and from it, amino acids and fats are produced within the cell, which, in turn, provide energy for humans. #foodofhefuture #outofthinair #NextGenEU

It’s time for our most frequently asked questions! One question we get a lot is: Why does Solein need an approval from food authorities before it can be sold? The answer is that every novel food or ingredient goes through official approval processes and tests by local authorities before it can be sold or used in a food product. This is a standard procedure and ensures that Solein is 100% safe for all consumers. Solein received its first novel food regulatory approval in September 2022 in Singapore. Solar Foods is seeking novel food approvals also in the United States, the UK and EU. For more questions & answers, visit: www.solarfoods.com/qa #foodofthefuture #outofthinair #NextGenEU