The food industry is always looking for new technologies that offer sustainable alternatives that are carbon neutral or reduce overall GHG emissions. One such technology is air fermentation, which uses airborne microbes to ferment raw ingredients into a variety of food products. Unlike traditional methods, which use specialized, defined microbe cultures, air fermentation makes use of naturally occurring bacteria found in the atmosphere. The end-products made using this technology cater to varied end industries like protein, dairy, confectionery products, etc.
Air fermentation can help the food and nutrition industry by providing a sustainable and cost-effective method to diversify product offerings and meet consumer demand for natural and health-conscious products.
Often used interchangeably, air and gas fermentation, the latter also known as air protein, are a bit different from each other. Air fermentation uses air for the fermentation process to start, however, gas fermentation needs gases like hydrogen, carbon monoxide, or carbon dioxide instead of just air, which then creates products like single-cell proteins as a byproduct.
Two companies are aggressively working in this sphere and encouraging the adoption of products made out of thin air.
Solar Foods, which is a Finnish company, has come up with a new product called Solein. It is an all-purpose protein that is an air-fermented ingredient with a nutritional value similar to that of dried meat, containing amino acids, dietary fiber, and vitamins. The company has obtained regulatory approval in Singapore and is in the process of obtaining approval in the US and EU markets.
Fazer, a Finnish confectionery producer, has launched a chocolate bar named “Taste the Future” using Solein. The chocolate bar is vegan-friendly and contains 70% dark chocolate, strawberries, hazelnuts, oat puffs, and 2% Solein. The ingredient can be used as an alternative to dairy or meat, as an egg replacer, and more.
Circe Bioscience, a biotechnology startup based in the United States, has innovatively converted industrial emissions into ingredients that can be used in the making of confectionary food items. They have created molecules using microbes that replicate the properties of cocoa butter. This technology led to the invention of the first chocolate bar made from gas fermentation. The ingredients made from this process can be used in other confectionery items as well, such as truffles, and hold significant potential for other sweet products.
This scientific development provides a unique solution to the supply chain issues that occurred due to the cocoa shortage in the years 2023–2024, which led to a rise in cocoa prices.
Air fermentation is not new to the food and nutrition industry; however, it has not been widely accepted, possibly due to regulatory approval challenges and limited scientific research on its safety prospects. Nevertheless, the future looks promising for this innovative technology. As the industry evolves, we can anticipate a significant rise in innovations related to air and gas fermentation.
