Just a week after Brooklyn-based startup Air Co. unveiled its carbon-negative, air-based vodka, a California start-up announced a new type of “meatless meat” made from air.
Appropriately named Air Protein, the Bay Area company allegedly used
technology developed by NASA, to transform carbon dioxide (CO2) into
protein, the same way plants do. During the 1960’s, the U.S. space
agency started looking for a way to feed astronauts on a year-long
mission by relying on the one resource its crew produced in abundance –
CO2. During their research, scientists discovered a class of microbes
called hydrogenotrophs able to convert carbon dioxide into protein. The
resulting powder could be used to create pastas and shakes, but Air
Protein now wants to use it to create a meat alternative.
Just a week after Brooklyn-based startup Air Co. unveiled its carbon-negative, air-based vodka, a California start-up announced a new type of “meatless meat” made from air.
“We need to produce more food with a reduced dependency on land and
water resources. Air-based meat addresses these resource issues and
more,” Air Protein
CEO, Lisa Dyson, said. “The world is embracing plant-based meat and we
believe air-based meat is the next evolution of the sustainably-produced
food movement that will serve as one of the solutions to feeding a
growing population without putting a strain on natural resources.”
The California-based startup reportedly perfected the process
developed by NASA scientists to the point where the CO2-based protein
can be created in “hours, not months”, in fermentation tanks filled with
carbon dioxide and various other nutrients.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ve probably heard about the Impossible Burger
– a vegetable patty that tastes just like meat. Well, the people behind
Air Protein hope to develop an even better alternative to meat, as
their product would be entirely free from pesticides, herbicides,
hormones or antibiotics. No word on flavor though, something that could
make or break it. We’ll find out next year, when the company hopes to
launch a commercial version.
Interestingly, the sector of air-based proteins is already pretty
competitive, with companies like Solar Foods having already announced
their own innovative products, like a protein-rich food called Solein made from electricity, water and air.
