It hasn’t been long since Air Co. launched its carbon-negative and air-based vodka, but another California start-up has announced a new kind of ‘meatless meat’ that is made from air. It has been named Air Protein and comes from the Bay Area company.
The Bay Area company has used technology, allegedly, that was created by NASA for transforming carbon dioxide (CO2) into protein for creating Air Protein. It is the same technique that plants rely on. Back in the 1960s, the US space agency began looking for a way to feed its astronauts on a mission that was about a year-long by making use of the resource that was created by its crew in abundance; CO2. During their research, scientists found out that a class of microbes that are known as hydrogenotrophs was capable of converting carbon dioxide into protein. The resulting powder could be utilized for the creation of shakes and pasta. However, Air Protein has used it for creating a meat alternative.
Air Protein CEO, Lisa Dyson, said, ‘We need to produce more food with a reduced dependency on land and water resources. Air-based meat addresses these resource issues and more. 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 company was able to perfect the process that was developed by NASA’s scientists. It has perfected it to the point where CO2-based protein can be created in hours as opposed to months. The process is carried out in fermentation tanks that are filled with carbon dioxide and different other sorts of nutrients. The team behind Air Protein didn’t just want to create a meat alternative but wanted to come up with something that was better as a meat alternative in every manner. Their product is completely free of any pesticides, herbicides, hormones, or antibiotics.
The company will be launching a commercial version of Air Meat in the coming year.
