Solent

Creation

Soylent’s story began with a 30-day nutrition experiment. In January 2013, software engineer Rob Reinhart purchased 35 ingredients, which, as he learned from textbooks on nutritional biochemistry, the body needs to survive ^[4] . Working for one startup , Reinhart concluded that he spends too much time cooking, and wanted to solve this problem ^[4] . The ingredients he acquired included: potassium gluconate, calcium carbonate, monosodium phosphate, various carbohydrates, olive oil, fatty acids, and more. Reinhart mixed all the ingredients in a blender and added water to them, after which he drank the resulting cocktail ^[5] .

For the next 30 days, Reinhart did not eat anything but Soylent, constantly monitoring the results. Subsequently, according to Reinhart, his stamina increased, his skin improved, and he could run more than before. Subsequently, he adjusted the proportions of his product to deal with problems such as heart rate and iron deficiency ^[5] .

Over the next two months, Reinhart lived mainly on Soilent, identifying and correcting further problems, and continued to improve the product formula. One change was the use of oat powder instead of maltodextrin because the original formula did not have fiber. His monthly food costs fell from about $ 470 to $ 50, and Soylent gave him complete control over his diet, which allowed him to fine-tune the consumption of any nutrient as he wanted ^[6] .

Commercial success

Reinhart wrote about the experiment on his blog, and this attracted the attention of the Hacker News website, which ultimately led the project to the Tilt crowdfunding platform. On Tilt, Soylent collected $ 1.5 million in pre-orders, which contributed to the development of the powder from concept to commercial product ^{[7] [8]} . Thus, Soylent has become one of the most funded crowdfunding projects that have ever been. In April 2014, media reported that Rosa Foods launched the Soylent production, in which about $ 2.6 million had already been invested ^[9] . In January 2015, Soylent received funding of $ 20 million from venture capital fund Andreessen Horowitz ^[10] .

Until June 2015, Soylent was available only to customers from the United States. But on June 15, 2015, the product was delivered to Canada at the same price as for American customers ^[11] . Distribution in the European market is the company's goal in the near future. In October 2017, Canada refused further supplies of Soylent due to non-compliance with Canadian standards for food substitutes ^[12] .

In July 2017, Soylent began selling in 7-Eleven stores near Los Angeles. ^[13] By April 2018, Soylent was selling to more than 8,000 7-Elevens stores nationwide. They also plan to sell it through the Walmart network ^[14] .

Below is presented, according to the official website of the creator, a list of ingredients of the initial version of the drink, formed after 30 days of experiments ^[15] . Many are not widely available, and the manufacturer is forced to order them directly from laboratories ^[16] .

Soylent products include “genetically modified” components ^[17] .

Below is a table of the nutritional value of the Soylent drink version "1.0" in terms of one serving (148 g), in a package of 3 servings ^[18] .

The creators of Soylent declare that it contains everything necessary for a healthy lifestyle. But there may be shortcomings of a psycho-social nature when eating only Soylent, because pleasure in the process of eating the food itself and eating in the company of other people is important. ^[nineteen]

Some people have experienced GI dysfunction from Soylent consumption. ^{[19] [20]}

Lead and cadmium content

On August 13, 2015, As You Sow, a non-profit organization for environmental protection and corporate social responsibility, stated that Soylent did not have adequate labeling for the presence of lead and cadmium in quantities requiring such labeling. However, Soylent contains levels of lead and cadmium well below the level set by the FDA .

In September 2013, Reinhart announced that he would like to achieve a reduction in the cost of the final product to $ 5 per day ^[21] . Reinhart also said that in April 2013 he spent on Soylent $ 154.62 per month, and the calorie content of such a diet was 2700 kcal per day ^[22] . The cost of a Soylent commercial diet for one person is currently (May 2014) $ 65 (packing for a week) and $ 255 (packing for a month). It can be cheaper than food in catering establishments or with the purchase of prepared meals. For comparison, when cooking at home, a family of four in the United States can, according to the US Department of Agriculture, ensure a complete, albeit as economical, ration as possible, spending $ 146 per week on food (approx. $ 634 per month, or $ 159 each) per person) ^[23] .

In 2016, Soylent suspended sales of Soylent 1.6 Soluble Powder following complaints from customers about gastrointestinal problems. Soylent previously suspended sales of Soylent Bar bars. The company itself claims that less than 0.1% of buyers who used Soylent 1.6 complained of the same problems as buyers of bars ^[24] .

• Green solent
• Sports nutrition
• Artificial food
• Space food

• Official site
• Do not waste time on food, buy soylent . Hacker Magazine , May 22, 2013
• Soylent - the mysterious food of the future
• Food of the Future: Soylent
• Is it true that soylent will replace the rest of the food