HELSINKI, FINLAND – Solar Foods protein ingredient Solein has received a self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status in the United States. Solar Foods said a qualified panel of experts has compiled a statement on the product’s safety and intended use based on determined food categories and Solein concentrations.
Founded in 2017 with funding by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, Solar Foods is a Helsinki, Finland-based food technology company that was founded in a scientific research program at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Lappeenranta University of Technology. Solar Food’s research team was then able to find a way to turn emission-free electricity and captured carbon dioxide into an edible source, according to the company.
Solein, the company’s first product, is an all-purpose protein grown with air. The company said it uses a bioprocess that takes a single microbe and grows it by fermenting it using air and electricity. In 2022, Solein was granted novel food regulatory approval in Singapore.
“Obtaining self-affirmed GRAS status is the first step toward entering the United States,” said Juan Benitez-Garcia, chief commercial officer at Solar Foods. “We will shortly be able to launch commercial activities in this significant new market, including marketing and sales operations, and drive our growth. So far this has been possible only in Singapore.”
The company said next steps to commercialize Solein in the United States include registering its production facility Factory 01 with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company expects sales to begin by the end of this year.
Factory 01 began operation in spring 2024 and the company’s overall operations began in 2018. Solar Foods said it plans to expand its network of production facilities in later years.Enjoying this content? Learn about more disruptive startups on the Food Entrepreneur page.
