Solar Foods' Solein Wins Positive EU Safety Opinion
The European Food Safety Authority found the air-protein ingredient safe for use in selected food categories.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Vegetarian
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The European Food Safety Authority issued a positive scientific opinion for Solein, a novel air protein ingredient produced by gas fermentation. Solar Foods is the first company to receive a positive EFSA opinion for a novel food ingredient made through gas fermentation.
Why it matters
The positive opinion moves Solein's novel food application to the final stage of EU approval, opening a path to European sales. It also signals that fermentation-derived protein may be assessed as a viable alternative protein source.
Solein is produced by fermenting a Finnish microbe using carbon dioxide and electricity, independent of agricultural land and weather. The remaining EU authorisation process is expected to take around 7-9 months.
The players
Solar Foods
A Finnish company that produces Solein through gas fermentation and is seeking EU approval for the ingredient.
European Food Safety Authority
The EU agency responsible for scientific risk assessment of food and feed safety across the European Union.
Ajinomoto
A Japanese food company that has launched Solein in ice cream and dessert products in Singapore.
The details
EFSA concluded Solein is safe for use as a protein ingredient in selected food categories. Solein is already sold in Singapore in ice cream and dessert products with Ajinomoto, and in the US in a protein powder with the Planta nutrition brand.
Timeline
The positive EFSA opinion was announced on November 9, 2026.
The remaining EU authorisation process is expected to take 7-9 months.
Culture Shift
Solein's approval pathway reflects a broader shift toward alternative proteins that bypass farmland and climate constraints. Its progress through EFSA signals growing regulatory openness to fermentation-derived foods.
If approved, Solein could appear in European foods as a protein ingredient, offering an alternative to conventional sources. Readers interested in plant-based or alternative protein products may see new options on shelves over time.
The takeaway
Alternative proteins made through fermentation can scale independently of land and weather, which may matter for future food supply. Consumers evaluating protein products can watch for regulatory approvals that signal wider availability.
What happens next
The European Commission will draft an implementing act and present it to member state representatives for a vote in the coming months.
Further reading
Explore more on Vegetarian diets and alternative protein developments.
Live Poll
Would you be comfortable eating protein made by fermenting microbes from thin air?
