The future of food may not look as delectable as one would think, but one inventor promises it will be healthy, balancing all nutrients the human body needs.
Rob Rhinehart, a 26-year-old American, has developed Soylent – a powder that when mixed in water makes a drink.
“In future, I think, we will have complete control over what our food looks like,” he said, discussing the ‘future of food’ at the closing session of this year’s HT Leadership Summit.
Upon taking stage, Rhinehart pulled out a sachet of white powder. He said 450 gms of it mixed in 1.6 litre of water could be become someone’s breakfast, lunch and dinner. He said it was his primary diet for the last two years.
Rhinehart’s journey to developing Soylent started after he aborted his hardware startup in Silicon Valley.
“After a lot of thinking I realised my immediate problem was that I did not feel healthy,” he said.
What followed was arduous research on nourishment that zeroed in on 35 essential nutrients, which Rhinehart then condensed together into a powder. Convenience, he said, is another USP of his product.
“It’s healthy and has a shelf life of decades if stored in ideal conditions that’s why I see it not only tackling problems related to junk food consumption such as obesity and diabetesm but also providing food security,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“It’s healthy and has a shelf life of decades if stored in ideal conditions that’s why I see it not only tackling problems related to junk food consumption such as obesity and diabetesm but also providing food security,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}In a span of six months, the company has notched up 100,000 clients.
But at $9 (a little over Rs 550) for a day’s meal, including shipping, it may be a little steep for the Indian market, but Rhinehart is hopeful of bringing down the cost.
Full coverage: HT Leadership Summit 2014