Company sees 'future of abundance' as it launches bottled drink that replaces meal

A woman drinks bottled Soylent 2.0 outdoors.(Soylent)

A company in Los Angeles, California, has come up with a "meal replacement" technology that comes in the form of a liquid drink which, it said, marks a "major step towards a future of abundance, a world where optimal nutrition is the new normal."

The bottled meal replacement drink—called "Soylent 2.0"—has all the vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates, and protein that the body needs, according to Soylent, the name of the company.

After being launched as an easy-to-mix powder last year, Soylent has been made available for preorder in pre-mixed and ready-to-drink 16 ounce bottles, Digital Trends wrote.

"Soylent 2.0 is just the beginning of our continued expansion as we endeavour to improve the capability and efficiency of our industry through research and development, toward a future where food is abundant and its production is transparent," Soylent co-founder and chief executive officer Rob Rhinehart said in a statement.

The Soylent company also entices customers to buy its new product to avoid lines in fast food restaurants and feelings of mid-morning hunger after inadequate breakfasts.

The company claims each meal replacement bottle contains 20 percent of a person's daily recommended value for essential vitamins and minerals, and 400 calories.

Soylent 2.0 also supposedly has a "low glycemic index" that provides an even, sustained release of energy.

The new product has a shelf life of one year, and does not require refrigeration. It is also said to be environmentally sustainable, "with half of its fat energy coming from farm-free, algae sources."

"This next generation agricultural technology has the potential to reduce the ecological impact of food production by orders of magnitude, signifying a major step towards a future of abundance, a world where optimal nutrition is the new normal," the Soylent company said in its statement.

Soylent 2.0 will be shipped for public consumption starting October. It is available in 12-bottle packs for $29.