Haven't you ever seen a commercial for meal replacement shakes before? They've been a staple in the diet industry as long as I've been alive. Liquid diets are also a "thing" in medical settings for patients who are unable to take solid foods. Remember "Carnation Instant Breakfast"? That's been around since the 60s. Its really not an original idea.
I don't hate Soylent in the least but you've gotta be closing your eyes and plugging your ears to believe what they are trying to do is new or original.
I mean I used carnation instant breakfast as an example, that's available in every single grocery store in America.
Dozens of those already exist and are used everyday in hospitals across the US.
They come in a wide variety of types - high and low protein, high and low calorie, with or without fibre, designed for naso-gastric tube feeding or for drinking, flavoured or unflavoured, designed to be eaten on their own or to be mixed with some other food stuff, designed to be eaten cold or hot.
The novelty of Soylent is (irresponsibly) marketing these to the public.
Those have existed for quite some time. And, quite frankly, they're just packaging food. That's not novel. Every other food maker is responsible for making sure their product is safe. Why should Soylent be any different?
I'm neutral on this debate, but I think you are wrong here. Soylent is a meal replacer. It is supposed to bring you all nutrients you need in a meal.