Fazer readies Solein products for Europe after positive EFSA opinion

Fazer has said it is ready to launch consumer products containing Solar Foods’ Solein protein in Europe once final regulatory authorization is granted, following a positive scientific opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

• Fazer is ready to launch Solein products in Europe once final regulatory authorization is granted.
• EFSA’s positive safety opinion still requires a European Commission authorization decision.
• Singapore sales and US tastings have informed Fazer’s product development.

The Finnish food company, which has worked with Solar Foods on product development since 2019, has already introduced a Solein snack bar in Singapore and tested further applications in the USA. It is now exploring several product development opportunities for the ingredient as it awaits the outcome of the European Union’s novel food authorization process.

“This is one of Finland's most exciting food innovations. EFSA's positive scientific opinion of the food safety of Solein protein is a significant milestone towards the commercialisation of the ingredient in Europe. We have the readiness to launch Solein products for consumers as soon as the final regulatory approval is granted in Europe,” said Heli Anttila, VP, Research & Product Development at Fazer Group.

EFSA concluded that Solein is safe for use in food under the proposed conditions of use. The opinion is an important step in the regulatory process, but it does not authorize sales. A final authorization decision from the European Commission is still required before the ingredient can be placed on the European market.

Solein is a microbial protein developed by Finnish food technology company Solar Foods. It is produced through gas fermentation using raw materials obtained from the air and a microbe that occurs naturally in Finland. Its production does not depend on soil, weather or climate.

Fazer is one of Solar Foods’ first commercial partners, an early-stage investor and its largest shareholder. The relationship has given the company several years to investigate how Solein performs in food and drink products before a potential European launch.

In 2024, Fazer introduced the Taste the Future Snack Bar in Singapore, which it described as the world’s first consumer product containing Solein. Singapore had granted the ingredient its first novel food authorization in 2022, providing a market in which the company could begin consumer trials.

Fazer extended that work in 2025 with tastings in San Francisco. Those pilots included snack products and oat drinks containing Solein, allowing the company to assess the ingredient across different types of food and beverage applications.

“The aim of the pilots has been to test the functionality of the Solein in different product categories and to gather valuable feedback on taste, texture and overall experience, as well as to better understand consumer expectations to guide future product development,” Anttila said.

The trials have therefore served both product development and consumer research purposes. Alongside testing whether Solein works in a particular formulation, Fazer has sought feedback on the finished eating or drinking experience to help guide subsequent development.

The company sees Solein as an ingredient that could complement existing protein sources across several product categories. It has not named the products it intends to introduce in Europe, identified its first European launch markets or provided a launch date. Its stated readiness remains conditional on final regulatory authorization.

Fazer linked its interest in Solein to demand for protein-rich products, citing consumer attention to well-being, weight management, active lifestyles and healthy aging. The company is examining several opportunities rather than announcing a single European product at this stage.

“The European protein market is large, and consumers' interest in protein is constantly growing. Innovative solutions like Solein can open new opportunities for the Finnish food industry and exports. It is great to see how an innovation developed in Finland is moving closer to broader commercial adoption in international markets,” Anttila said.

According to the information accompanying Fazer’s announcement, Solein has a mild flavor, contains essential amino acids and can complement the nutritional profile of plant-based foods. Those characteristics support its use in a variety of applications, although Fazer’s European product plans have yet to be disclosed.

The ingredient’s regulatory progress has followed different routes in its existing markets. After Singapore’s authorization in 2022, Solar Foods obtained an independent conclusion of Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status in the USA in 2024, enabling commercialization there.

For Fazer, the next regulatory step is the European Commission’s decision. The company said it has the readiness to bring Solein-containing consumer products to European markets once that authorization is granted, drawing on the development work and consumer feedback gathered through its Singapore and US pilots.

‍If you liked this, check these out...

• Fazer introduces world-first ‘Taste the Future’ chocolate snack bar powered by Solein in Singapore

• Fazer introduces Taste the Future snacks featuring Solein protein in the USA

• Solar Foods clears EFSA hurdle for Solein as EU sales await 2027 authorization