A startup is producing a meat alternative with "air protein"

The meat substitute market never ceases to impress us. After all kinds of plant-based and lab-based meats, some of them amazingly similar to animal meat, with several pieces that even bleed, now there is news that there is protein made out of thin air — literally. Inspired by a NASA technology, a US startup is creating a meat-replacement powder with microbes found in the air, from which they are looking to create protein from natural elements found in the air and in water, to make a vegan-friendly protein.

Using renewable energy and a probiotic production process, AirProtein converts "the elements into a nutrient-rich protein with the same amino acid profile as an animal protein and packed with crucial B vitamins, which are often deficient in a vegan diet". The idea is that this powder could replace soy or pea protein in plant-based meat products.

The process is similar to making yogurt or beer, in large fermentation chambers, and requires just a tiny fraction of the land required for traditional meat production. It's also much faster, as the powder can be produced in a matter of a few hours, instead of months taken by animal agriculture, and isn’t dependant on good weather and seasons.

This could be groundbreaking to help improve food security in the world, as according to the FAO, we would need to increase food production by 70% with only a 5% land increase to meet the expected growing population of 10 billion people by 2050.

According to Business Insider, "the company hopes to announce a product that consumers can purchase next year, but hasn't said what form that will take".

Do you want to revolutionize our food system before this? Ditching meat, dairy and eggs is the greatest way to start. You can also help us make veganism grow by making a donation.