Fazer

A new wave of meat, fish, and poultry alternatives are driving this hyper-growth industry into the mainstream

Plant-based Meat

Solar Foods is a spinoff of VTT Technical Research Center of Finland and LUT University, and produces Solein, a single-cell protein, using microbes that are cultured using carbon dioxide and electricity as the main resources. Solar Foods has produced approximately 20 products using Solein, including vegan burger patties and plant-based meatballs.The firm claims that its all-natural fermentation technique is similar to yeast production, resulting in the world's cleanest and most sustainable protein. Solein production is not affected by weather or climate and can be produced even in hostile environments like the desert, the Arctic, and space, where conditions are not ideal for typical food production. Solar Foods has received <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14058">regulatory approval</a> for Solein from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/33141">GRAS</a>) status in the USA. The company has also applied for novel food authorization in the UK and EU as well.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/28496">April 2024</a>, the company inaugurated Factory 01, its commercial-scale Solein production facility. It has an annual production capacity of 160 tons and utilizes a bioreactor capable of producing the equivalent protein of a 300-cow dairy farm in a day. It also serves as a hub for R&amp;D, supporting the development of future products.Key customers and partnershipsIn&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/18897">May 2023</a>, Solar Foods held a tasting event in Singapore in collaboration with The Lo &amp; Behold Group to debut menu items produced using Solein. In&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19078">June 2023</a>, the company entered a strategic alliance with Japanese food and biotech company Ajinomoto to develop products using Solein. Additionally, the companies planned to conduct a market feasibility study in Singapore and secure market licenses in regions other than Singapore. In&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/32552">August 2024</a>, this partnership launched two plant-based products in Singapore under Ajinomoto's new brand, Atlr.72. Further, in&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/36323">November 2024</a>, Solar Foods partnered with award-winning restaurant Olmsted to introduce its innovative protein ingredient to the US market.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Empowering sustainable food innovation through food engineering tech

Alternative Ingredients

Solar Foods is a spinoff from VTT Technical Research Center of Finland and LUT University, and produces Solein, a single-cell protein, using microbes that are cultured using carbon dioxide in the air and electricity as the main resources. Solar Foods has produced approximately 20 products using Solein.The firm claims that its all-natural fermentation technique is similar to yeast production, resulting in the world's cleanest and most sustainable protein. Solein production is not affected by weather or climate and can be produced even in hostile conditions like the desert, the Arctic, and even space, where typical food production may seem impossible. Solar Foods has received <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14058">regulatory approval</a> for Solein from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/33142">GRAS</a>) status in the USA. The company has also applied for novel food authorization in the UK and EU as well.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/28496">April 2024</a>, the company inaugurated Factory 01, its commercial-scale Solein production facility. It has an annual production capacity of 160 tons and utilizes a bioreactor capable of producing the equivalent protein of a 300-cow dairy farm in a day. It also serves as a hub for R&amp;D, supporting the development of future products.Key customers and partnershipsIn May 2023, Solar Foods&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/18897">held a tasting event in Singapore&nbsp;</a>in collaboration with The Lo &amp; Behold Group to debut menu items produced using Solein. In&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19078">June 2023</a>, the company entered a strategic alliance with Japanese food and biotech company Ajinomoto to develop products using Solein. Additionally, the companies planned to conduct a market feasibility study in Singapore and secure market licenses in regions other than Singapore.&nbsp;In&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/32553">August 2024</a>, this partnership launched two plant-based products in Singapore under Ajinomoto's new brand, Atlr.72. Further, in&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/36324">November 2024</a>, Solar Foods partnered with award-winning restaurant Olmsted to introduce its innovative protein ingredient to the US market.&nbsp;

Solar Foods is a food-tech startup that specializes in testing a technology that uses electricity to produce hydrogen which is combined with carbon dioxide, water, vitamins, and minerals to feed and grow microbial biomass that can be used as edible protein. The industrial biotech startup develops a protein called Solein, a nutritious, sustainable substitute for animal-derived proteins. Solein is created using elements from the air—CO2, water, nitrogen—and electricity. This single-cell protein is cultivated through gas fermentation, essentially deriving edible calories from hydrogen-oxidizing microbes.

Fazer Group mission is to create taste sensations. Customer orientation, quality and operations are based.

Wholegrain as recommended? Fazer’s products make it both easy and tasty

Companies providing technology related to fortification, cell culture, and fermentation and those supplying equipment including bioreactors and fermenters for the production of novel foods

Companies offering salt substitutes to reduce sodium content in foods and beverages

Companies developing natural sweeteners and solutions to reduce sugar content in foods and beverages

Companies creating natural flavor, texture, and coloring ingredients from plant-based sources like seaweed and algae

Companies producing chocolate without cocoa using ingredients like oats, seeds, and cell-cultured cocoa

Companies making coffee substitutes from ingredients like barley, date seeds, and sunflower seeds

Companies offering plant-based alternatives to honey and nut spreads, addressing dietary restrictions and allergies

Companies producing cooking oils and fats through fermentation, cell-cultured and plant-based extraction processes

Companies developing protein ingredients via cell-culture or fermentation for dietary supplements and food production, excluding plant-based or cell-cultured meat

INCUMBENTS_PRESENT

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 Two Finnish biotech research projects, FoodID and FinBioFAB, have received EUR 10 million (approximately USD 11 million) in research and development funding from Business Finland. They were accepted into the Global Centers project, managed by the US National Science Foundation.
 This fund will be used to facilitate a three-year joint research between academia and businesses, focusing on the creation of alternative proteins, lipids, eco-friendly plastics, and protein-based materials.
FoodID will involve the collaboration of VTT, the University of Helsinki, and companies including Fazer, Valio, MeEat, Enifer, and Onego Bio. Partners for FinBioFAB includes Nestlé, Onego Bio, AB Enzymes, Solar Foods, UPM, and VTT.
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