Fazer unveils vegan chocolate snack bar powered by Solein protein made from electricity and air
22 Jan 2024 --- Fazer, a Finnish Food Experience company, revealed a limited edition chocolate snack bar that incorporates Solein by Solar Foods, a Finnish food technology firm.
Available at The Cocoa Trees stores through their partnership with Singaporean distributor FNA Group, the dark chocolate, strawberries, and hazelnut bar features high-fiber oat puffs powered by Solein.
Solein, made by microbes cultured with electricity and air, is an innovative protein powder that “vanishes into foods,” maintaining the taste of familiar, everyday food products without any alteration.
Heli Anttila, VP of new product development at Fazer Confectionery, tells Food Ingredients First: “Caring for the well-being of people and the environment is part of Fazer’s heritage and future. We acknowledge the impact that the way food is grown, produced and consumed has on people’s well-being, on the environment and on society.”
“Fazer has been working hand-in-hand with Solar Foods’s R&D team on product development for our company. As part of our strategic partnership, Fazer Group and Solar Foods share the objective to jointly research and develop Solar Foods’ novel protein ingredient Solein.”
Heli Anttila, VP of new product development at Fazer Confectionery.Singapore paves the way
Solein’s regulatory approval in Singapore in 2022 is a key step toward the nation’s goal of producing 30% of its nutritional needs by 2030. As Fazer collaborates on product development, this limited edition serves as a testing ground for future market rollouts.
With a presence in Singapore for nearly 30 years, Fazer’s range, distributed by FNA Group, established itself as a snacks retailer and a brand synonymous with thoughtful gifting occasions.
“Singapore continues to be one of the key markets for Fazer. With a highly innovative food ecosystem and people who are not only passionate about food, but curious to try new things that are new, with nutrition and sustainability benefits, we believe Singapore is the perfect test ground for our Taste the Future Chocolate Snack Bar,” Anttila shares.
“On Fazer’s journey to a modern sustainable food company, the aim is to innovate across categories and support innovations that may change the way people eat in the future. Changes in the food system and consumption habits are key to abate climate change, and with the newly entered partnership, Fazer Group wants to promote research on new solutions.”
Shilei Zhang, chief commercial officer at Solar Foods.Nutritional trends in Asia
Asian consumers are passionate when it comes to high-quality nutritious food, according to The Cocoa Trees from Singapore.
Many countries experiencing falling birth rates represent a significant portion of health and functional food product sales, with Asian consumers showing a particular preference for food products that promote healthy aging.
“Solein can bring benefits to the elderly adult customer segment as older people require more protein than their younger counterparts to support muscle growth and repair,” Shilei Zhang, chief commercial officer at Solar Foods, tells us.
The protein is claimed to contain all of the nine essential amino acids that are required by the human body.
“Solein is an additional source of protein as it is high in protein but doesn’t contain some of the negative factors that animal-based proteins might have. Solein is low in saturated fat versus meat, which can cause health concerns such as heart and vascular diseases.”
By Sichong Wang
