Motherboard / Vice Soylent Video

ratatoullie

cross-posted here: http://blog.soylent.me/post/66807143901/this-morning-vices-brian-merchant-published-a in regards to the Vice / Motherboard piece here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8NCigh54jg

This morning, Vice’s Brian Merchant published a documentary video and accompanying article that outlined his experience living off Soylent exclusively for thirty days, several months ago.  Brian sought to recreate the scrupulous conditions of my initial Soylent test. Though the overall tone of the article was positive and he concluded that Soylent is something he will likely continue to use as a cheap, healthy, and easy staple meal, there were a few points that we feel require clarification. We encourage you to watch the entire video and read the article as well.

Merchant was able to run his 30-day test because of the Soylent Beta program, which consisted of small-batch Soylent production by hand, for limited distribution to friends and family, as well as journalists who expressed an interest in trying out early versions of Soylent.  The Beta program was incredibly useful for discovering weaknesses in our workflow.  At one point in the video, mold was discovered in one of Brian’s bags. This was due to inadequate packaging that we were testing at the time being punctured in shipping, allowing ambient moisture inside. This was one of several important discoveries from the beta program and prompted us to utilize more robust packaging. The beta program, along with our tenancy at the Oakland warehouse, concluded in early October, very soon after the Vice shoot wrapped. Our former landlord has been informed of our issues with the space.

We would also like to emphasize the fact that Soylent 1.0, the product for which we have accepted over $1.5M in preorders, will not be manufactured by hand by our executive team.  We have signed a purchase order with RFI Ingredients, a contract manufacturer with over 20 years of experience producing FDA-approved food products. Soylent is designed and regulated as a food, not a supplement. Their safety record is unimpeachable, which is one of the major reasons we chose to partner with them. To learn more about RFI’s certifications, please visit http://www.rfiingredients.com/certifications.asp.

We are grateful to be featured in a well-made piece regarding food security, design, and production. If one thing from the video is clear, food and people are always changing. The company and idea has come a long way in a matter of months, and we are devoted to producing the highest quality product possible.

  • Brent Wagner

    I liked the video, and I’m sure the formula (taste, texture, smell) may have changed a bit since the Beta, hopefully for the better!
    I would also like to say that I shake my head at all the impatience over the delays of the shipping date, it is what it is and most people should realize there are good reasons, that you are not just making these delay decisions lightly.

  • Huk Pidsanha

    You don’t beta test food.

    • Joshua Latos

      I’m going out on a limb and guess you are not a chef. If you don’t get people’s opinions on your new dish, and end up serving something everyone hates, your gonna have a bad time! But if, before you put it on the menu, you taste it yourself, then get a few other people’s opinions, you can adjust as needed. Regardless what name the chef chooses to call this process, that’s beta testing.

      • Huk Pidsanha

        You’re right, I’m not a chef. I am, however, a food production executive.
        These arrogant little clowns at Soylent are not testing recipes for a restaurant with friends and family, they’re testing food production. You don’t test food production with outside consumers (and press!) while you’ve got rats running around and sending out ziploc bags of damp powder in the mail.

        • Tim D.

          “These arrogant little clowns at Soylent”, so I assume by this comment that you have met them? Maybe since you are such an expert you should help them out instead of being an ass! Oh, what food production company are you an executive of, I want to make sure I don’t purchase any of their product. I also looked up some of your other post and seems you are just an arrogant basher of other peoples comments. Maybe post something useful for once.

          • Huk Pidsanha

            Oh, you’re right. I’m sooooooo sorry. I was wrong. Safety testing for mass production of food is just the same as a chef having their friends taste recipes for a restaurant! And anyone who says so (such as Joshua Latos) is obviously a smart and knowledgeable individual, who has every right to proclaim it in a sardonic and arrogant tone and not to receive a response in a similar tone.

            My post, to which you replied, contained a concrete description (albeit simplified) of how to actually test food prior to production. A lot more useful than your response, which on the other hand contains NOTHING beyond an ad hominem attack. As for the arrogant clowns, I base my assessment on their public actions and statements. Do I need to have met them?

            Gotta run. I’m off to my rat-infested warehouse to invent powdered sperm, so that I can procreate without having to waste time on the meaningless so-called pleasure of sex. And at the same time save the Third World and make lots of money for myself!! Wooo Hooooo!

          • Tim D.

            Thanks for re-enforcing my comment that you are a complete ass!

          • Huk Pidsanha

            Both of us can engage in name-calling and put-downs. (Although I have to say that mine is considerably more witty and incisive than yours).

            My posts, however, have some *additional* content about food production and testing. I assume that’s not a subject about which you have any knowledge whatsoever. Otherwise you’d say something about it instead of being a big crybaby.

          • Guest

            haha fag

          • Huk Pidsanha

            And there you go…. Enough said.

          • Wings

            “Although I have to say that mine is considerably more witty and incisive than yours”

            You don’t get to make that call.

            Let me repeat that:

            YOU don’t get to make that call.

            Both of you were being immature, stupid idiots. I’m sorry if that’s not witty or incisive, but it’s the truth.

      • Huk Pidsanha

        And let me add that your own arrogance and ignorance is shocking. I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess you don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.
        Beta testing is when you send out the (ostensibly) finished product to a select group of test customers prior to final release. Where you hope you will only have to make a few minor tweaks.

        In the food industry, if you’re testing for taste and package design, you use a focus group. If you’re testing your product and packaging for freshness and durability, you test its condition in a lab after various periods of time sitting in the packaging. If you want “real world” testing, you send it in the mail to yourself a hundred times, or to your associates 3000 miles away.

        Once you’ve completed all these steps and you have a finished product that’s been through multiple rounds of lab testing and focus groups, that has good packaging and doesn’t go moldy after a few days, and that can now be produced on a trial basis on the actual production line of your manufacturing partner, and where the only step that remains is pulling the trigger on an actual production run, then you send out a hundred packages to various industry partners and colleagues. That’s your “beta test.” And after that’s worked successfully, then you send samples to the press.

        This bears absolutely no relation to your simpleton-esque example of a chef testing recipes for use in a restaurant.

    • Ashley S

      As the folks at Soylent are beta testing their food, it seems Mr. Pidsanha is actually saying that “one” or perhaps “he” doesn’t beta test food. Clearly he would prefer that Soylent do the same as him.

      Does the gentleman wish to unpack his assertion? Do you not want Soylent to test their own product? If so, why?

      • Huk Pidsanha

        I’ve already “unpacked my assertion.” Have you read my postings above? It appears not.

        Do you know what Beta testing means? Let me quote from Wikipedia: “The users of a beta version are called beta testers. They are usually customers or prospective customers of the organization that develops the software, willing to test the software without charge, often receiving the final software free of charge or for a reduced price.”

        This is food, not software. Do you understand that different testing methods and schedules may be required? Apparently not. In your mother’s basement it may seem to you like everything in the world is identical to software development. But here’s some news for you. It’s not. Rats running around may not affect software, but they do affect food. Is that clear enough for you?
        You don’t test food production with outside customers (and press!) while you’ve got rats running around and sending out ziploc bags of damp powder in the mail. At least not if you know what you’re doing.

        In the food industry, if you’re testing for taste and package design, you use a focus group. If you’re testing your product and packaging for freshness and durability, you test its condition in a lab after various periods of time sitting in the packaging. If you want “real world” testing, you send it in the mail to yourself a hundred times, or to your associates 3000 miles away.

        Once you’ve completed all these steps and you have a finished product that’s been through multiple rounds of lab testing and focus groups, that has good packaging and doesn’t go moldy after a few days, and that can now be produced on a trial basis on the actual production line of your manufacturing partner, and where the only step that remains is pulling the trigger on an actual production run, then you send out a hundred packages to various industry partners and colleagues. (Not customers. Not press.) And after that’s worked successfully, then you send samples to the press and prospective customers.
        Get it?

        • Ashley S

          Needless insults aside, I see one point you are making is that calling it ‘beta’ testing seems bizarre (or potentially hurtful, based on your verbally violent reaction) to you.

          Given that Rob (not I) comes from a software background perhaps you can fathom that he might borrow from the work flow of software development, where he is already experienced. I don’t see the problem in borrowing this term, but to each his own. You’re welcome to not use it.

          Getting to what I sense is the bigger issue you have with the product -testing it’s real world capabilities- with a group of people who are not part of the original company.

          I can see a point of concern here. These people may not be equipped to detect rot, mould, or implied rat poop. However, I wonder if others that you’ve mentioned (industry partners, colleagues) are significantly more capable of detecting these things. Please remember that Soylent is not being foisted on the unwitting public, but a group of self-selected, open-eyed (I’ll avoid a contentious word here) testers.

          From what I’ve read, adjustments have already been simultaneously been made to both package and contents. Perhaps this a departure from the traditional process you’re claiming is the norm, but I don’t see an invitation for death or dismemberment. And in any case, I’d gladly have a sore tummy for an afternoon in the service of improving humanity’s nutritional well-being. You’re welcome, again, to disagree. I won’t even call you selfish for it.

          Lastly, that my order was taken sometime mid-last-year and has yet to be fulfilled further suggests Soylent Inc. is working to improve the product before wider distribution.

          Let’s just agree to disagree on the worth and degree of personal risk by engaging in this project, but if you’ve got something helpfully specific to add, please kindly say it.

          • Huk Pidsanha

            It’s not about calling it beta testing. Beta testing means something quite specific, and this is not it.
            You can save the pieties about improving humanity’s well-being. This is about profit.

  • QuidNYC

    “Rob has a dream that someday, Soylent’s ingredients will be harvested in a plant that harnesses sunlight to grow nutritious algae.”

    So it would seem that Rob’s next product is to be… Soylent Green?

  • Greg

    Cool! GMO free by any chance?

  • sorewinner

    Greetings from the UK :) I’m not going to wait for the international delivery dates but I’m really looking forward to your finished formula. Meanwhile I’ve used the DIY tools on the site to create a nutritional profile for myself, adapted an existing formula and in about a week after I started doing all this I finally have all the ingredients delivered as well. Cheers for making this possible!

  • J G

    I think it’s fairly emblematic of Silicon Valley culture that any social-based activity can be “optimized” away so that one might be able to spend more time in front of the computer coming up with the next big app. Antioxidants and phytochemicals can’t be easily replaced by vitamin pills and maltodextrin.
    Its telling that this products’ biggest fans are sleep-deprived CalTech students cramming for exams. If that’s what peak technology has in store for us, 24/7 workers fed an IV nutrition drip, then I despair for humanity..I can’t wait to see what kind of health problems the users of this product start to develop in 20 years. At any rate, I guess the rest of us can be thankful that they are willing to act as lab rats for a crazy experiment.

  • KERR

    Can’t wait to get onto this stuff!

  • Doctor__Awesome