Finnish food-tech startup Solar Foods has secured a positive scientific opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) regarding its novel protein ingredient, Solein. The regulator has concluded that Solein is safe for use as a protein ingredient in selected food categories under proposed conditions of use. The company calls this a significant achievement on its path to commercialisation in the European Union, marking the first time a positive EFSA opinion has been granted for a novel food ingredient produced through gas fermentation.
How Solein is Made
Solein is developed through a fermentation process that uses carbon dioxide and electricity to cultivate a microbe found in Finnish nature. The resulting ingredient is marketed as “protein from thin air.” It offers a nutritionally rich profile containing protein, iron, fiber, and B vitamins. Solar Foods highlights the ingredient’s versatility across various food applications. The production method allows for predictable supply and consistent quality, independent of agricultural land, weather, and climate conditions.
This independence from traditional supply chains provides a potential buffer against the shortages and price volatility often seen in sectors like whey and dairy protein production. Solar Foods has already launched products containing Solein in other markets. In Singapore, the company collaborated with Ajinomoto to release ice cream and dessert products. In the United States, Planta offers a protein powder containing the ingredient.
Approval and Market Potential
The positive scientific opinion moves Solar Foods‘ novel food application to the final stage of the EU approval process. The European Commission will draft an implementing act and present it to a committee of EU member state representatives for voting. The company expects the remaining authorisation process to take around 7 to 9 months.
Rami Jokela, the CEO of Solar Foods, described Europe as a strategically important market. He noted that the company is already in discussions with major international food companies. The positive EFSA opinion enables these talks to move toward commercial agreements. This regulatory step also supports the company’s financing and preparations for its Factory 02 manufacturing site.
Solar Foods estimates the total addressable market for Solein in the EU to be approximately €7 billion, with a potential €11 billion market in the US by 2030. The company is advancing European offtake negotiations and preparing for the final investment decision for its Factory 02 manufacturing site. With this positive opinion, Solar Foods is moving forward with its commercial execution and scaling its business, marking a significant step in its commercialisation journey in the European Union.
