Solein plant based protein made from CO2 approved to go on the market in 2023

Hi everyone, I’m fascinated in the science behind these projects so watched this with great interest on Click on the BBC this weekend.

Basically 2 Kg of CO2 can be turned into 1Kg of Solein. It is created by microbes that metabolise the carbon and emit oxygen, it has a very high protein content and lots of base amino acids and has been approved to be in the shops in 2023 so this is not Sci Fi it’s reality.

Here’s a link about it to the manufacturer Dezeem:

dezeen.com/2021/06/29/carbo...

In the Click program Spencer Kelly sampled plant based ice cream made from solein and gave it a big thumbs up, here’s a link to the BBCepisode of Click:

bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00118kr

It’s amazing how food scientists are mimicking nature to create plant based alternatives so using CO2 from the atmosphere and using a lot less CO2 to produce Solein than protein from cows or chicken will play an important role in feeding the planet in the future. I have to be honest I find the concept fascinating but challenging as I like organic fruit and veg but try to be open minded.

Next year 2022 we will be able to buy plant based alternatives in eateries that are made with a 3D printer which also fascinates and intrigues me.

[Professor-Yaffle]

Hi Jerry

Thanks for posting this. I agree that the science is fascinating.

I wouldn't eat Solein on a regular basis as it appears to be rather high in carbohydrate (20-25% - that's substantially more carbs than potatoes).

I would be curious to know what it tastes like in its simple form though.

I imagine from it's simple form Solein will nearly always need to be further processed into foodstuffs in order for it to be marketed; although perhaps some people would be happy to buy and cook with from it's powered form? - I don't eat synthetic powders or processed food so that rules me out too.

I do wish the scientists the best of luck though.

I'm interested in your point about organic fruit and veg. It made me wonder if we might need a new system to categorise futuristic foodstuffs. If food is being created from thin air then is it automatically organic or not? I have no idea. And the microbes they use..... is it possible for them to be organic or not organic? And are there other substances used in the production?

[Professor-Yaffle in reply to Professor-Yaffle]

A little add on.

The carbohydrate level of Solein seems to be unclear. The BBC piece says about 15% whereas scientific articles quote 20-25%. I wouldn't eat either but that might make a difference for some people.

[Hidden in reply to Professor-Yaffle]

Interesting add ons so thank you, and firstly it is very unpleasant on its own as Spencer tried some but the ice cream just had 4 ingredients including fat and sugar.

I’ve no idea if the microbes are organic I don’t see why not and I tend to avoid processed foods so we will see.

I’ve added a Food science topic for this and other similar topics.

And here’s a link to the 3D printed burgers coming next year:

healthunlocked.com/veganfoo....

[Professor-Yaffle in reply to Hidden]

Another interesting link. 3D printed vegan burgers - what next hey? Most vegans I know hate meat substitute products with a passion..... but I guess they must appeal to the new younger generation of hipster vegans as somebody is buying it all up from the supermarket and Gregs. Good for them I say, if that's what they are interested in eating and they are prepared to program the 3D printers themselves! 🍔🖨️🤓

[MTCee in reply to Professor-Yaffle]

A new food category would seem appropriate. Something along the lines of new or novel or eco friendly? Neco foods? 😄 I got my son some crispy cricket snacks last week because he’d been wanting to try them out. He said they were fine but unsurprisingly they weren’t gluten free. That’s the only thing that worries me about these new foods. The manufacturers shove a load of gluten or wheat in them to make them palatable.

[Professor-Yaffle in reply to MTCee]

Oh how fascinating about the crickets - I imagine they are crunchy which appeals to me, but like you I fear they will have a lot of stuff added that I wouldn't eat on a regular basis.

"Neco" foods - let's start using it and see if it catches on. 😃