Fazer Group enters strategic partnership with Solar Foods

Finnish food company Fazer Group has entered a strategic partnership with Solar Foods, a food-tech start-up company, to research and develop latter’s protein ingredient Solein.

Solein is a carbon-neutral protein that can be produced independently from the soil, thereby avoiding the effects of negative land use, as well as weather and climate.

Fazer Group CEO Christoph Vitzthum said: “Fazer believes in open innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration in creating sustainable and socially significant solutions. Sustainability in food and nutrition is high on Fazer’s research agenda and we want to be an innovative trendsetter.

“Our strong heritage offers us the roots necessary to take on bold innovations. The partnership with Solar Foods is a great example of sustainable innovation, supporting Fazer in reaching our sustainability core goal of 50% less emissions by 2030.”

Fazer aims to become a modern sustainable food company and focus on the development and promote research to create food solutions to reduce the negative impacts of climate change.

As part of the initiative, Fazer will research Solein and test the applicability of the ingredient in different food applications.

The company noted that the ingredient will be passed through stringent tests to ensure food safety and that European Food Safety Authority requirements are met.

Vitzthum said: “The undisputed safety of food and great taste will always be the spearhead of our operations and in our objective to grow in Northern Europe and beyond with sustainable and meaningful food experiences in growing categories.”

As part of its sustainability approach, Fazer has four targets, including 50% less emissions, 50% less food waste, 100% sustainably sourced and more plant-based, and aims to achieve these goals by 2030.

Recently, Solar Foods raised €3.5m in total in convertible loans from Fazer Group, Holdix Oy Ab and Turret Oy Ab and Lifeline Ventures.

Solar Foods co-founder and CEO Pasi Vainikka said: “We are excited now to go full steam ahead and hope to learn from Fazer’s extensive experience in offering customers new food experiences.”