The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has banned meal-replacement product Soylent.
According to an announcement from Soylent, the agency found that the product does “not meet a select few of the CFIA requirements for a ‘meal replacement'"; effective this week, it cannot be sold in the country.
A note from Soylent CEO Rob Rhinehart seems to rebut the decision, implying that the agency’s standards are outdated. It also states that Soylent will abide by the government decision — although it’s not exactly like Soylent has a choice here.
“We feel strongly that these requirements do not reflect the current understanding of human nutritional needs, we respect the CFIA’s regulations and will fully comply with any regulatory action they deem appropriate.”
Soylent, which The Verge has described as “powdered science” and “a thick nutritional sludge” is intended as a futuristic substitute for eating actual meals — the powdered substance is mixed into a relatively flavorless drink that gives the drinker the calories and nutrients that a meal would normally provide. Developed in Silicon Valley, it is marketed at tech industry types who are too busy or important to lose precious time to purchasing or preparing food with flavors and textures.
The Canadian government decision means that no more Soylent can be shipped to any Canadian customers (although those whose orders can’t be filled won’t be charged). There’s no timeline for when it might become available again in Canada.
Soylent had a previous run-in with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency: a year ago, one of its “food bars” was recalled after reportedly making people ill. But Rhinehart says that this time, there’s no issue with the safety of the product.
“There is nothing wrong with the Soylent product you are consuming, this issue emerged from regulatory compliance, not product quality.”
• Canadian Availability Update [Soylent]
• Soylent stops Canadian sales after regulators say it’s not a real meal [The Verge]
• Soylent brand Food Bar recalled due to reported illnesses [CFIA]