Finland’s Solar Foods partners with Ajinomoto to launch Solein-powered products in Singapore

Helsinki-based startup Solar Foods, known for its innovative protein production technology, has partnered with the Ajinomoto Group to introduce Solein-powered products in Singapore. The collaboration marks a milestone with the launch of Flowering Mooncakes and Ice Cream Sandwiches under Ajinomoto’s new conscious brand, Atlr.72™️. Solein, a protein derived from air and electricity, is being piloted in this market as part of a broader strategy to explore its commercial potential. This partnership reflects a move towards integrating sustainable ingredients into mainstream food products, with plans for future expansion and further development of green food solutions.

Solein® takes its next step towards commercial use as leading Japanese food manufacturer, the Ajinomoto Group, unveils two new Solein-powered products: Traditional Flowering Mooncakes and Ice Cream Sandwiches. The products are the first to be launched under Ajinomoto’s new conscious brand Atlr.72™️. The limited edition launch in Singapore marks a significant leap forward, making Solein available for consumers and larger scale commercial use.

Last year, Solar Foods and Japanese food giant Ajinomoto entered a strategic product development partnership, with the aim of piloting Solein-powered products in Singapore. The partnership is now proceeding to the next stage with Ajinomoto launching the new conscious brand Atlr.72™️ (Atelier Seven Two) to drive the company’s green food business, in response to the growing demand for health- and environmentally conscious products. The first limited-edition products of the brand, Flowering Mooncakes and Ice Cream Sandwiches, are both powered by Solein.

After piloting the products in Singapore, the first market where Solein has been granted the food authorities’ novel food approval, Ajinomoto is looking into expanding to other countries and regions. The company also plans to broaden the brand from sweet products to everyday foods. In addition, they will continue to test and verify the best sales channels.

This April, Solar Foods’ Factory 01 started its operations. Factory 01 is the first facility providing commercial-scale production of Solein for the needs of the food industry, food brands and food service companies; making it possible for Solein to be available to consumers on a large scale, for the first time.

“Ajinomoto’s launch marks an important milestone on our journey to renew existing food categories and reduce the environmental impact of food production. It’s a major step for the commercial use of Solein as our new factory is now ramping up its production, paving the way for the introduction of Solein to people’s plates,” says Solar Foods CEO and Co-founder Pasi Vainikka.

Solein is also expected to enter the US market with a US GRAS status (Generally Recognized As Safe) in the upcoming months, which will open up new possibilities for the commercial use of Solein. In addition, applications for novel food authorisation have previously been filed in other key markets such as the UK and the European Union.

The green food business is one of the Ajinomoto Group’s major growth areas, and as a part of this business, Ajinomoto promotes the co-creation of new food ingredients and next-generation food systems, including protein, with low environmental impact. The company believes that the most important elements of a food product are good taste, good appearance, and affordability, and that consumers will be more receptive and satisfied if they are aware that the product contains health- and environmentally conscious raw materials and ingredients.

“With the new brand, Ajinomoto proposes a new food lifestyle that fosters a respect for nature in today’s consumers. Solar Foods is proud to be supporting this ambition, and we share the vision for what the future of food will be,” Vainikka continues.

In the Atlr.72™️ Flowering Mooncakes and Ice Cream Sandwiches, Solein is substituting dairy, giving the final products a protein boost and helping reduce the final product’s environmental impact. Solein also contributes to the rich consistency of the ice cream. The other ingredients in these novelties have also been selected with a focus on health and environmental sustainability.

Solar Foods was also recently named the international category winner of NASA’s and CSA’s Deep Space Food Challenge. This recognition highlights the potential of Solein for space missions, demonstrating its ability to provide nutritionally rich food in confined environments. The win underscores the adaptability of Solar Foods’ bioprocess and its potential to advance both space exploration and sustainable food production on Earth. As Solar Foods continues to scale up production with the launch of Factory 01, the company is positioning itself at the forefront of food technology innovation.

The Deep Space Food Challenge seeks innovations to feed astronauts on long space missions. This win provides compelling evidence that producing nutritionally rich Solein® in space is one of the most attractive food production solutions. In space, the possibilities to prepare food are extremely limited, and we are solving this challenge by recreating our Solein bioprocess to fit smaller confines, while drastically improving the water economy of our future spaceships.

“Our mission is to solve the global food crisis and of course, Solein is primarily meant to be enjoyed on Earth. But Space is the ultimate stress test of a circular economy: It represents both an opportunity to advance the history of science and a chance to grow and diversify our business. We are beyond excited to help take humanity deeper into space, while at the same time developing Solein production for extreme conditions here on Earth,” says Arttu Luukanen, the Senior Vice President of Space & Defence at Solar Foods.

The Deep Space Food Challenge, organized by the Methuselah Foundation, was launched in 2021 by NASA and their Canadian counterpart organization CSA. Solar Foods was selected as the international winner also on the previous phases I and II of the challenge.

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