The Finnish food experience company Fazer  is launching a limited-edition chocolate snack bar at selected The Cocoa Trees outlets in Singapore as part of its "Taste the Future" concept. What makes the snack bar special and gives it a taste of the future is Solein®, the novel, air-grown protein developed by Solar Foods.

Solein’s varied uses on display: adding iron to a plant-based snack

Fazer Taste the Future is a vegan-friendly, palm oil-free snack bar made with 70% dark chocolate, hazelnuts, dried strawberries and crunchy oatmeal puffs. The recipe also includes 2% Solein, a novel ingredient that provides iron, a nutrient typically lacking in plant-based diets. Introducing innovative and sustainable food solutions such as these is one of Fazer's strategic priorities, and Solar Foods is proud to support Fazer in this goal with Solein to power the company's food of the future.

For Solar Foods, the new Fazer Taste the Future snack bar once again demonstrates the versatility of Solein: not only a nutritious protein, it can also be used as a fortifier to complement the nutritional profile of various foods. Solein can be used as a source of iron, fibre and B vitamins, as well as adding various techno-functionalities to food products.

From a business perspective, the new limited edition snack bar is a good test for future market launches. Singapore is an ideal market for Solar Foods to see how innovative Solein-powered products are received: the city-state combines a pioneering spirit that embraces innovation with a rich, local food culture that isn't afraid to boldly combine new influences with familiar staples.

Full Solein production begins in 2024, paving the way for new product development

The collaboration with Fazer comes at an excellent time, says Solar Foods co-founder and CEO Pasi Vainikka, with many exciting developments in the Solar Foods world.

The company's Factory 01 is nearing completion and will be operational in H1 2024. When this first commercial-scale plant starts production, it will produce 160 tonnes of Solein per year. After this, the development and launch of new Solein-based products will become more viable. With this in mind, Solar Foods has already applied for novel food approvals in other key markets such as the EU, the UK and the US. Now is the time to gather more feedback and understand consumer expectations.

"This is an exciting moment for us to be working with Fazer - the first time people will be able to try Solein in a consumer snack bar. It also demonstrates the potential of Solein as a sustainable and nutritious fortifier. With this launch in Singapore, we are gaining valuable consumer feedback on the viability of Solein in a new product category, as well as a sense of consumer acceptance of future ingredients. Our common goal extends beyond this pivotal moment to a broader European launch in 2025-2026 with a full range of products," comments Vainikka.