Air Protein

A Bay-area company has upended the meatless meat industry with a new, mind-boggling (seriously, I'm perplexed) category of meatless meat: air-based meat.

Yes, that's right, Air Protein today announced the launch of an air-based meat substance that can be used to make burgers, chicken, turkey or virtually any meat product you want it to be. You can even use this air-based product to make protein-enriched pastas, cereals and beverages.

The product itself looks much like a protein powder, but consists only of elements found in the air, specifically carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen, which are then blended with water and mineral nutrients to create a base. Using renewable energy and a probiotic production process (fermentation), Air Protein converts the elements into an edible product (the powder base) with an amino acid profile similar to that of real meat -- it contains all nine essential amino acids, so it's a complete protein.

Air Protein

Air Protein is also fortified with vitamins, including vitamin B12, which is primarily found in animal products and is difficult for many vegans and vegetarians to get enough of in their diets.

CEO of Air Protein Lisa Dyson started the company after realizing that single-cell organisms could convert carbon dioxide into nutrients. The question was, essentially, if they could do it, why couldn't humans?

Air Protein is a sister company of Kiverdi, a company that focuses on using carbon dioxide to make environmentally friendly products, such as plastics and soil. You're going to have to wait a while before you'll see any meat made from air on store shelves, since the company is still working on turning their tech into tangible consumer products.

It's too soon to tell how this air-based protein compares to real or faux meat in terms of long-term health, but maybe it has the potential to beat both in terms of environmental health.

I'm not sure Air Protein is the product that will convince wary omnivores to go vegan, but it's certainly a leap for the meatless meat industry and gives us something to ponder while we wait to see if the FDA approves cell-based meat for consumption.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.