A protein that does not come from animals, nor from the cultivated fields, but from the air itself. It is not science fiction: it’s called Solein and it is a protein ingredient created by Solar Foods, a Finnish startup that works to revolutionize the diet making it more sustainable.
Now the company has sent an official request to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the government agency that controls food safety in the United States, to obtain a recognition called “No Questions letter”. This document serves to confirm that the FDA has no objections with respect to the safety of the ingredient for the proposed food use.
In 2024, Solar Foods had already obtained self-affirmed Gras certification, which allows you to sell food products in the US if an independent team of experts believes they are safe.
But now the company wants to go further: with the notified Gras, it will be the same FDA to evaluate the technical and scientific dossier on Solein.
The process provides for a first verification of the documents, then a detailed analysis. If everything is in order, the “No Questions Letter” will arrive, or an official confirmation from the Agency. According to estimates, the answer could arrive by the end of 2026.
Getting this document is not just a bureaucratic question: it can facilitate entry into other international markets and reassure companies and consumers on the fact that the product is safe.
But what really is Solein and how do you produce?
Solein is a complete and versatile protein, which can replace animal or vegetable proteins in many foods: from those for sportsmen to the packaged products that we find on the supermarket shelves.
Its peculiarity? It is produced by a natural microbo selected between billions of species present in nature, cultivated without agricultural land, without farms and without pesticides.
How does the process work? The microbo is nourished with air, water, electricity and a small amount of nutrients (such as nitrogen, carbon and minerals). Through a system similar to that of fermentation (such as beer or yogurt), the microorganism grows and produces a biomass rich in protein, which is then collected, dried and transformed into a fine powder, light yellow, ready to be used.
In addition, Solein does not depend on the climate, does not use natural resources intensively and has a very low environmental imprint. In short, it is designed for a more resilient and less impactful food system.
Where it is already approved and where you want to expand
Solein has already been approved as “Novel Food” in Singapore in 2022, and that’s where the first sales began. In parallel, Solar Foods also presented the documentation in the United Kingdom and the European Union.
As for the EU, the process started in October 2021 and is still passing through the EFSA evaluation, the European Food Safety Agency. Also in this case, the authorization could arrive in 2026.
In the meantime, the company looks at the US market with interest, especially in that of protein products for sportsmen and fitness lovers, a 10 billion dollar sector that consumes over 500 thousand tons of powder proteins every year.
Solein could become a valid alternative to traditional proteins, at the same time offering benefits
You may also be interested in:
