Have you ever imagined that one day the world would come out with an unconventional recipe to create edible protein using carbon dioxide as the main ingredient? Believe it or not, now you can enjoy your own slaughter-free steak using the atmospheric air! Solar Foods, Air Protein, Deep Branch Biotechnology and Novozymes are some of the established companies that have produced their own air-based protein. The principle involved essentially uses carbon dioxide captured from factories and the environment, converting it into acetate to feed into a fermentation tank containing microbes and the necessary growth medium. After the fermentation process, protein can be extracted and dried as protein powder. The process is like how yoghurt, cheese and tempeh are made, using the help of microbial cultures.

In fact, the original idea is based on the technology developed by NASA in the 1970s to feed the astronauts on their extended space mission, which had limited sources of food at that time. They came up with a plan to combine microbes with the carbon dioxide from the astronauts’ exhaled air to produce food. However, this idea was abandoned and forgotten back then since the mission to Mars failed. The idea was subsequently picked up by scientists 50 years later to finally synthesize protein from carbon dioxide.

Air-based protein aligns with the mission of helping the world transition to sustainable meat due to the increasing environmental concerns over mass animal farming and its impact on the Earth. Simultaneously, it aims to reduce fossil fuel dependency and promote an atmospheric circular economy. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately 15% of the global carbon footprint is attributed to animal farming, with 41% of those emissions coming from the production of red meat. By 2050, the global population is predicted to increase to 9.8 billion which will significantly increase the meat demand and hence, requiring vast hectares of land for animal farming to meet the consumer demands if the conventional method is still dominating the industry. Therefore, the innovation of air-based protein is pioneering a new form of landless agriculture and offers a unique approach to food production.

 Despite its commitment to environmental sustainability, air-based protein is claimed to have several health benefits over traditional animal meat as it contains soy-free, pesticides-free and free from genetically modified organisms. Solar Foods claims its air-based protein called Solein has a higher protein content per kilogram and rich in vitamins, minerals and amino acids compared to any other meat source. This discovery gives a ray of hope for environmentally friendly alternative while delighting the palates of meat enthusiasts worldwide.

Sources:

1. Solar Foods. (2022, 26^th October). Solar Foods receives novel food regulatory approval for a protein grown with CO₂ and electricity. Solar Foods. Retrieved from https://solarfoods.com/solar-foods-receives-novel-food-regulatory-approval/
2. Petya Trendafilova. (2022, 17^th September). Scientists can now reuse CO₂ to make meat. Carbon Heralds. Retrieved from https://carbonherald.com/scientists-can-now-reuse-co2-to-make-meat/
3. Air Protein Incorporation. (2023). Protein with next gen functionality. Air Protein. Retrieved from https://airprotein.com/
4. Food and Agriculture of the United Nations. (2023). Key facts and findings. FAO. 
5. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations. (2017). United Nations. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/desa/world-population-projected-reach-98-billion-2050-and-112-billion-2100

Author : Dr. Ezyana Binti Kamal Bahrin

             Biology, ASPutra

Tarikh Input: 03/11/2023 | Kemaskini: 04/09/2024 | hasniah