Protein Out of Electricity and Air? – Introducing a Tech-Natural Food Called Solein 

By Chung Hyunhwa 

Everybody knows that the livestock industry contributes to the greenhouse gases that speed up climate change, and more attention is being paid to find sustainable meat alternatives. It is not only important for reaching carbon net zero, but also for the rapidly increasing population. More enterprises are interested because that is where the money goes. By now, there are already various plant-based meat products on the market, and cultured meat grown in labs is on its way. Besides these, here is one more addition to such alternatives. It is called Solein. 

Solein is a novel protein alternative developed in Finland. Solar Foods, the developer company, compares Solein to the discovery of potatoes because the production of it requires only air, electricity, and a single cell organism, which sounds unbelievable. This bioprocess is similar to fermentation, except that the organism eats the elements from air and produces protein as its metabolic residues. Electricity is used to turn air into its feed: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The end product is turmeric-colored powder that is supposed to enrich the original flavors of foods with its umami taste.  

Solein can be grown anywhere in the world even without light for photosynthesis as needed in plants. There are no ethical or environmental harms, and the cost will drop due to the expected renewable energy price dropping, according to the company’s website. It can be added to alternative meat, noodles, or even ice cream. The website also specifies that “Solein is 65-70% protein, 5-8% fat (primarily unsaturated fats), 10-15% dietary fibres, and 3-5% mineral nutrients,” and that the “macronutrient composition of the cells is very similar to that of dried soy or algae. Solein provides iron, fibre and B vitamins.” Also claimed on the site is that Solein has all the nine essential amino acids. Is this going to become a breakthrough for the food shortage problem in times of overpopulation and hostile climate change?  

Singapore, which is entirely dependent on imports for food, is trying to increase its self-sufficiency rate to 30 percent by 2030 in preparation for uncertain future food risks, and it is the first country to adopt Solein into its food system. There is already a restaurant that has a Solein chocolate ice cream on the menu.  

Solein’s Efficiency 

I think Solein has a way to go further. Its energy-to-calorie conversion rate, which indicates a product’s efficiency in producing calories for end-consumers to use, is 20 percent. I searched a little more to find the conversion rates of other protein sources, which are as follows: whole milk (24 percent), eggs (19 percent), poultry (13 percent), pork (8.6 percent), lamb or mutton (4.4 percent), and beef (1.9 percent). In other words, Solein at the moment is about as efficient as eggs and whole milk, but much more efficient than other meats, especially beef. However, it may take a while to replace steaks. It may easily replace protein powder on the healthcare market and maybe even eggs and milk if the price goes down. I cannot wait to try this on the market soon.  

My Search for the Right Food 

If I share my experiences with food research using this opportunity, I was on a keto diet for a while because of some health issues. Most people on a keto diet heavily depend on meat. Some “carnivores” may live on only meat for months for health reasons or just for weight control. On a keto diet, fat and protein intake is going to take over the calories of carbs and sugars, so it is important to find suitable protein and fat sources. I consumed more meat than before for a while, but in doing so, I had to think again because I learned meat consumption was speeding up the climate crises. With some experiments, I also concluded that eating a lot of meat could cause other health problems in the long run, so I started replacing meat with beans and lentils. Soybeans are a very balanced source of fat, protein, and carbs, and lentils have more carbohydrates, but still 25 percent is protein, so if you add good oil to the cooked lentils, it can become a perfect balanced meal. I found Indian dal dishes with naan bread are a good balanced meal. I also think Korean cold noodles with soy bean soup (콩물국수) is a balanced plant-based meal. Tofu with kimchi is a good, easy dish to avoid carbon release. I am not vegan, but my meat consumption is down to 20 percent compared to three years ago, and I can say this is quite possible. I also cook less and eat more fresh vegetables to save energy. 

I saw statistics on how many calories from meat are consumed in each country per person and per day. I was quite surprised by India because it was only 17 calories, while it was over 500 in some countries. Korea is about 270. Koreans may eat less meat than in some Western countries or China, but they still eat much more than in India. This proves that eating less meat is totally possible. We just need to find ways to deal with the food situation, even without new technologies to get new food sources.  

Bad News, Good News, and Hope 

This summer, sadly, I heard bad news from a counterpart in Holland that the tulip crops this year are historically short – by 1 billion – possibly due to the unusual climate. I also hear about the improvement in the indoor agriculture production system, or a system that enables growing plants with only minimal water supply. The systemic changes seem to occur very slowly, but I still would like to be hopeful because of these new technologies that may be breakthroughs. However, setting a personal goal of meat reduction will be as good as a new technology, and anyone can start it right now. I think changing one’s diet is the highest level of action to show care for our future and fellow friends. Being fit and healthy is just a plus that follows. 

The Author 

Chung Hyunhwa is from Gwangju and currently working for a horticultural company. She is the former leader of Gwangju Hikers, an international eco-hike group at the GIC. Previously, she taught English in different settings, including Yantai American School and Yantai Korean School in China, and has worked for the Jeju school administration at Branksome Hall Asia in recent years. She holds a master’s degree in TESOL from TCNJ in the U.S. and a license to teach the Korean language. She loves plants, birds, and making useful items out of things that lose their purpose.