00:00Farming as we know it in the past is you farm in vast pieces of land in the countryside
00:06and then you bring it to the city, you bring it to modern trade as we call it,
00:10which is supermarkets for us to consume, right? That has to change.
00:13So we cannot really increase agricultural land area anymore.
00:18So we have to make food production more efficient.
00:23So the solution would be to bring the farms closer to the cities.
00:28In this series, we'll explore how innovative technologies
00:32and local initiatives are rethinking the way we produce and consume food.
00:38Welcome to Future Food, where we explore the food production of tomorrow.
00:44Today, we're exploring an innovative food technology that's changing the way we think
00:48about nutrition and sustainability. I'm talking about solene powder from Solar Foods,
00:54a revolutionary protein source derived from air.
00:59Why is there a need to make protein out of air?
01:03And what genius goes behind the scenes to create such proteins?
01:08We speak to one of the founders of Solar Foods to find out.
01:12Hello, I'm Joopeka Pitkanen. I'm chief technology officer and one of the founders of Solar Foods.
01:17Why is there a need for alternative proteins?
01:20One of the big drivers for us has been how the land area of Earth is utilized.
01:28More than 50% of this arable land area is used for farming.
01:32And the forest area is something like 30%.
01:35So we cannot really increase agricultural land area anymore.
01:40So we have to make food production more efficient.
01:45So we established Solar Foods in 2017 with the idea that by making food from CO2 and
01:52renewable electricity, we can start to feed the growing human population more efficiently.
01:58We cannot turn rainforests into fields anymore. So this has to change.
02:04How is this powder produced?
02:07The land production process is actually rather simple.
02:09So it's a bit like brewing beer or producing baker's yeast.
02:14So we have a bioreactor where we cultivate the microorganism we have discovered from Finnish
02:19nature. But this microorganism grows using hydrogen as the source for energy and CO2
02:25as the source for carbon. So it doesn't use any sugars like yeasts would do.
02:30What are the nutritional benefits of solene powder compared to traditional protein sources?
02:35Solene powder contains 70% of protein.
02:38And after protein, there are fibers, like 15% of fibers, and then fatty acids,
02:44roughly 8%. And then there are minerals, something like 3%.
02:49And then some minerals also include iron and magnesium, calcium.
02:54So it's very good also in mineral composition.
02:57And additionally, there are vitamins, including B12 and folates.
03:02So various B-group vitamins. And the yellow color, it comes from carotenoids.
03:07So precursor for vitamin A.
03:09So how do you see solene powder impacting the future of food and sustainability?
03:14We want to basically liberate food production from connection to agriculture.
03:20So we want to enable the future of food being more independent of the climate
03:25conditions so that it wouldn't burden the environment so much.
03:30In my viewpoint, it suits also countries like Singapore very well,
03:34where there is not much really arable land available and you are dependent on imported foods.
03:41Overall, the concept that we can have food production more closer to food consumption,
03:48so this is also one of the concepts for solar foods.
03:52Now let's see how solene powder is being used right here in Singapore.
03:56We're at Chengdu Bowl, a restaurant known for its delicious Sichuan cuisine.
04:01Come on, let's go in to find out.
04:04Hi, Sabrina.
04:05Hello.
04:06I'm Yu Lin.
04:07Nice to meet you.
04:07Nice to meet you too.
04:08So I'm here with Sabrina, the owner of Chengdu Bowl.
04:11Sabrina, can you tell us a bit more about how you started to incorporate solene powder into your dishes?
04:16Yeah, sure.
04:17We were introduced by Nurasa, which is the food tech accelerator in Singapore,
04:23and which is supported by Temasek.
04:25When they introduced solene, we noticed that they don't really have manufacturing in Singapore.
04:30So we shipped their product all the way from Finland, then did the testing with our chef.
04:36Then we tried with our classic Sichuan food, like Mapo Tofu.
04:40So it turns out to be great.
04:42That's why we're trying to be the pioneer and introduce to our food.
04:45I love it.
04:45Finnish technology with Asian cuisine.
04:48Yeah.
04:48It's amazing.
04:49Fusion to the max.
04:50So what made you decide to incorporate solene powder into your dishes?
04:54As a young Singaporean brand, we just don't settle for being ordinary.
04:59So when we started, we also think about, hey,
05:02how can we promote the modern Sichuan cuisine by incorporating, you know, the new technology?
05:08So we get introduced using this powder.
05:10We thought that, hey, why don't we give it a try?
05:13Because it helped to boost the Mapo Tofu's protein by 10%.
05:17Does it affect the texture at all?
05:18A little bit more QQ.
05:20I thought it would be.
05:22So how did your customers react to the addition of solene powder into your dishes?
05:26Yeah, it's actually well received.
05:28It becomes one of our best-selling products in the entire restaurant.
05:32And also, we receive a lot of messages coming from Instagram.
05:35People are privately messaging us saying that, hey, this is really nice.
05:39And we even receive some messages from overseas, like from Europe,
05:44because they know that Finland has this powder.
05:46And Singapore, I think it's one of the first jurisdictions
05:50approved this powder to be used in the food itself.
05:52That's fantastic.
05:53Can you walk us through how you prepare one of your dishes with solene powder?
05:57Oh yeah, sure.
05:58So for the Mapo Tofu itself, traditionally, the sauce will have the minced pork.
06:03That's adding the flavor.
06:04But for ours, it's completely vegan in a way.
06:08So they were just putting the solene powder in the stock itself.
06:11So when they cook it, it comes in the whole texture and blends.
06:17Sounds lovely.
06:18Well, let's dig in, shall we?
06:20Sure.
06:20I'm going to give it a taste test.
06:29How is it?
06:30It's really nice.
06:31I like the kick of the spice.
06:32As for the tofu, there's a bit of a nasty flavor, but it's pleasant.
06:36Yeah, it's really nice.
06:38It's fantastic to see such innovative solutions being incorporated into traditional cuisines.
06:43What are your future plans for solene powder or any other alternative proteins for that matter?
06:48We're also looking for other alternative protein.
06:52We do have a plant-based meat as well in other outlets.
06:57So we're doing that cross-testing and see which one comes to the top.
07:02Then we will introduce to other outlets.
07:04Oh, lovely.
07:05Well, thanks so much, Sabrina.
07:07It was really lovely to hear about your journey with Cheng Tu Goh.
07:10Right now, I'm kind of hungry.
07:12So I think I might just, you know, like help myself and maybe this one also, if you don't mind.
07:17You can take all if you want.
07:20I think I only can manage two.
07:21But thanks very much.
07:22You're welcome.
07:28F.
07:31Cheng Tu Goh is a great example of how innovative food technologies can be creatively integrated
07:37with traditional cuisine to provide healthier and more sustainable food options.
07:42To have a deeper understanding of how innovative food technologies like solene powder
07:46are changing the food industry, we spoke with an expert.
07:50I'm Dr. Carrie Matwik, and I'm a senior lecturer at Nanyang Technological University.
07:56Can you comment on the emerging global food lifestyles
07:59and emerging trends that you see in novel foods?
08:02So some of the emerging trends and lifestyle trends in Singapore
08:07is that people are more interested in healthier and more sustainable food options.
08:12And alternative proteins is one of the fastest growing sectors in this interest.
08:18And Singapore, in particular, has taken great interest in investment into it.
08:23So solene is one of the companies that Singapore has approved of
08:27for being an alternative protein.
08:30And it's from a microprotein.
08:32This association between technology and food, people tend to have this anxiety about it
08:38because we want food that seems to have a natural source, grows from the dirt, the earth.
08:44And so when we start to include science and technology,
08:48it separates food from its natural origins.
08:52And so naturally, humans have this awareness and more barriers put up
08:57about what we want to eat and affect us personally.
09:00And so solene is an example of a company that is using great new technology
09:05to create alternative protein forms,
09:08but is facing these cultural barriers that we hold on to so tightly with food.
09:16It's inspiring to see how Chengdu Bowl is incorporating solene powder into their dishes,
09:21creating healthier and more sustainable food options for their customers.
09:25Next up, we'll be visiting New Rasa to learn more about their role
09:29in accelerating food technology in Singapore.
09:32Thanks for joining us today.
09:34And we'll see you next time on Future Food
09:36as we continue to explore the future of food security and sustainability in Singapore.
09:42Hi, Sabrina.
09:43Hi.
09:44Yulin.
09:45Nice to meet you.
09:46We said it at the same time.
09:47Was that weird?
09:49Okay.
09:50So, when can we dig in?
09:52I've been waiting forever.
09:59Is it very hot?
10:00Oh, wow.
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