Company Invents Vegan Gelato With Protein Derived From Microbes, Air and Water

You could have your sustainable, vegan gelato and eat it, too, with the development of a gelato product made from a unique protein derived from just microbes, air and water.

Solar Foods, a food-technology company based in Helsinki, Finland, is behind the dessert, which is making its debut in Singapore. The vegan gelato is made from a Solar Foods-developed protein called Solein.

“If you didn’t know, you could not guess this gelato includes an entirely new, unique, and nutritious ingredient just by tasting it,” Solar Foods CCO Shilei Zhang said in a statement. “It looks, feels and tastes just like any other Italian gelato — and that is exactly the idea.”

To make Solein, the company starts by combining air molecules and a natural microbe grown by fermentation. Solar Foods splits water into hydrogen and oxygen and feeds the microbes with hydrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide, as well as nutrients. The final product is a dry powder that can be integrated into a wide variety of foods, including the latest vegan gelato. 

This is designed to be a sustainable process that requires no agriculture or animals to produce the protein.

According to Solar Foods, Solein is also nutritious, made up of about 65% to 70% protein, 5% to 8% fat, 10% to 15% fiber and 3% to 5% mineral nutrients. The protein includes iron and B vitamins and has a similar nutrient profile to soy or algae.

Solein was first approved for sale in Singapore in September 2022, and a Solein chocolate gelato is now on the menu at Fico, a seaside, Italian-style restaurant in Singapore.

“It is a remarkable opportunity to be the first chef team to introduce a one-of-a-kind ice cream to the world,” Mirko Febbrile, chef and partner at Fico, said in a statement. “It combines the familiar delicious taste we all love with a unique ingredient produced without relying on traditional agriculture. Exploring Solein’s versatility has been an incredible journey; we’ve experimented with its potential, creating dishes ranging from miso soups, pasta, sauces, and desserts. Replacing dairy with Solein in this chocolate gelato, we were able to craft a vegan ice cream without compromising on its creaminess.”

Solein may also appear in more products in the future, as Plant Based News reported that Solar Foods is going to collaborate with Ajinomoto, a food and biotechnology company based in Tokyo, to develop more foods made with this protein. Solar Foods is also looking to earn the Generally Recognized as Safe status for Solein in the U.S. and hopes to expand in other markets.