Is powdered food an eco-dream or just weird?

Huel and Ambronite are touting powdered meals as a low-cost, sustainable way to feed people and help protect the planet

A powdered mix made of crushed fruit, seeds and nuts is poured into a flask, cold water is added, it's given a shake and out comes a thick, greeny brown sludge. Ambronite - from ambrosia, the word for the food of the gods in Greek mythology - is just one of a number of products being sold by companies that claim drinkable meals are more efficient and sustainable than traditional meals.

"The future of food must be one that both takes our planet into account and serves humans better," says Simo Suoheimo, co-founder of Finnish startup Ambronite, based in California. "We believe food as a system is broken and ripe for disruption. Up to 40% of food in the US is wasted on its way from the farm to the fork and half of the population is pre-diabetic or diabetic."