It looks ordinary, but this powder is predicted to end the world's hunger problem
Technology has made the seemingly impossible possible. One of the new innovations that you should know about is this revolutionary breakthrough in the food world. We all know that the food we eat is produced from agriculture or animal husbandry. But a number of Finnish scientists managed to make nutritious food without having to grow or raise it. They created a device that could turn water, carbon dioxide and microbes into an equally filling food powder.
He said this technology could be used as a solution to overcome the problem of hunger that still plagues many countries in the world. According to the United Nations, approximately 1 in 9 people or about 795 million people in the world is still suffering from hunger.
This technology is called 'Food From Electricity', which converts a number of components into a powder high in protein and carbohydrates with electric power
A group of researchers from Finland has developed a bioreactor technology which is supposed to be a breath of fresh air in the food industry. This project is a collaboration between Lappeenranta University of Technology and the VTT Technical Research Center of Finland. 'Food From Electricity', the name of the project in question, is considered to be 10 times more effective than the photosynthesis process that occurs in plants. The product produced through the tool is in the form of a powder containing more than 50% protein and 25% carbohydrates. With these ingredients, of course, this powder is as filling as the food we eat everyday.
The only components needed to produce this powder are water, carbon dioxide, and some microbes. The materials are then electrified so that chemical decay (electrolysis) occurs in the bioreactor. Electricity is an important component in this technology. Thus, to produce foodstuffs, it is no longer necessary to regulate humidity, temperature, or soil quality.
This powder, which at first glance looks ordinary, is predicted to be a solution to overcome hunger, especially in areas with low soil fertility
In this day and age when fast food restaurants and mini markets are mushrooming everywhere, it seems hard to imagine that hunger still threatens 795 million people in the world. Including Indonesians who live in big cities, they may not realize that Indonesia's hunger problem is serious. Especially in African countries that are clearly dry, hunger and malnutrition are terrible scourges that cut life expectancy there significantly.
Well, 'Food From Electricity' is considered a reasonable solution to the problem. Especially on the African continent, which generally has problems with soil fertility and water shortages.
Besides being able to answer the problem of hunger, this technology is also able to help reduce climate change due to activities in livestock or agriculture
Did you know that one of the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming comes from the factory industry? According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), industry is the second largest contributor to greenhouse gases, including the food industry, at 19%. Just imagine, to be able to 'live' agriculture or livestock, people will need food for their livestock or crops. The food itself is made by the factory. Factory activities that can affect environmental conditions, such as increasing global warming.
Now with 'Food From Electricity', the demand for food can be reduced because to be able to produce human food, raising livestock or farming is no longer needed.
Unfortunately, this technology is still in development stage and far from perfect. They say it will take at least another 10 years for it to be really used by the public
Scientists in this project admit that they are still developing 'Food From Electricity' because they think the tool is not yet effective. Their bioreactor system still takes at least 2 weeks to produce 1 gram of protein. Juha-Pekka Pitkänen, lead scientist at VTT, said that his team is currently focused on developing the reactor concept, improving efficiency, and controlling processes. It took them at least 10 years before this technology was actually traded for the public.
They also said that the commercialization of this bioreactor is also influenced by world economic conditions. Yes, hopefully the main goal of developing this technology can actually be realized, although it is not certain when.
Image source from Google.com
