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Category: mycoprotein

  • 2 Alt-Protein Startups Receive Boost to Develop Fish-Free Salmon

    Oshi vegan salmon
    2 Mins Read

    A joint venture between Israel’s Oshi and California-based The Better Meat Co., is aimed at crafting sustainable and healthy alternatives to salmon.

    The collaboration comes on the heels of a $1 million grant to the two alternative protein startups by the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation. These grants are part of a program initiated by the Israeli and American governments to boost cooperative industrial R&D efforts that are beneficial to both countries.

    Mycoprotein salmon

    The initiative was sparked by a significant downturn in wild salmon populations, attributed to factors such as overfishing and logging. Despite these concerning declines, the demand for salmon continues to surge year by year. Oshi (formerly Plantish) and The Better Meat Co., say they plan to address this problem through the fabrication of mycoprotein-based salmon fillets.

    oshi vegan salmon
    Courtesy Oshi

    Dr. Ariel Szklanny, co-founder of Oshi, expressed the company’s gratitude for the grant. “We’re honored to be selected for this prestigious grant with The Better Meat Co. and look forward to reducing pressure on our finned friends by making alt-salmon fillets that are better than the ‘reel’ thing,” Szklanny said in a statement.

    With the implementation of Oshi’s state-of-the-art 3D technology and The Better Meat Co.’s groundbreaking mycoprotein fermentation technology, the partners aim to use the BIRD grant to produce salmon-like cuts from high-protein, minimally processed, and natural whole-food mycoprotein, without endangering fish populations or human health.

    Better alternatives

    “Humanity only stopped harpooning whales once there were better alternatives to whale oil,” said Joanna Bromley, co-founder of The Better Meat Co. “Our goal is to create better alternatives to salmon with our friends at Oshi so we can leave more fish where they belong: in the water.”

    better meat
    Courtesy The Better Meat Co.

    Oshi has raised $14.5 million in funding for its realistic salmon filets. The company has attracted a number of notable collaborators incuding Michelin-starred chefs, cookbook author Adeena Sussman, and content producer Nuseir Yassin from Nas Daily.

    In 2021, The Better Meat Co. announced the launch of a large-scale 13,000-square-foot fermentation plant for its first whole food fermentation-based mycoprotein ingredient, Rhiza.

    The post 2 Alt-Protein Startups Receive Boost to Develop Fish-Free Salmon first appeared on Green Queen.

    The post 2 Alt-Protein Startups Receive Boost to Develop Fish-Free Salmon appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Quorn Foods And Prime Roots Partner To Expand Mycelium Meat Category

    Prime Roots is made from koji mycelium
    3 Mins Read

    Leading mycoprotein producer, U.K.-based Quorn Foods, has made a minority investment in the Berkeley-based vegan meat startup Prime Roots.

    Quorn pioneered the mycoprotein category, and its new partnership with Prime Roots, which relies on koji mycelium —Japan’s “national yeast” — for its vegan meat, will see both companies expand their reach and product range.

    Mycelium meat market opportunities

    The companies say they will collaborate on new product offerings using their novel mycelium tech. Quorn’s products currently dominate the frozen category while Prime Roots has targeted the deli case since its launch in 2017; it offers vegan versions of turkey, ham, salami, pepperoni, and bacon as well as pâté and foie gras.

    Kimberlie Le, Prime Roots’ Co-founder and CEO, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: “We are thrilled to partner with Quorn, the leader in mycelium-based proteins to create breakthrough innovations together and to bring great tasting foods that are better for you and for the planet to mass markets,” Le said in a statement.

    Prime Roots charcuterie board
    Prime Roots charcuterie board | Courtesy

    “Prime Roots is doing great things in developing the U.S. meat-free deli category, and we’re excited by the opportunity we now have to share knowledge and collaborate with Kimberlie and her team,” said Quorn’s CEO, Marco Bertacca.

    The alliance announcement comes in the wake of Prime Roots’ recent $30 million Series B fundraise aimed at escalating production for nationwide distribution.

    “People are asking for sustainable meat options that taste good, make them feel good, and do good with less planet impact,” Le said in a statement accompanying the Series B announcement. “Prime Roots delivers on all three: taste, nutrition, and sustainability.”

    According to Le, the recent funding is an indicator that there is a growing market demand for alternatives to conventional meat.

    Health benefits of mycoprotein

    The news also comes on the heels of recent research published in the European Journal of Nutrition looking at Quorn’s health benefits, particularly on the propagation of friendly gut bacteria. The research, published in February, found that the study participants who consumed mycoprotein had “statistically significant” decreases in biomarkers for colon cancer than the group that did not consume the mycoprotein.

    Courtesy Quorn

    “The study showed that this dietary change delivers a significant reduction in genotoxicity and an increase in beneficial gut microbes,” the researchers noted. “Our findings suggest therefore that this high-fiber protein source provides a good alternative to meat in the context of gut health and could help to reduce long-term bowel cancer risk.”

    Other research, published in 2019, found that Quorn’s mycoprotein increased muscle building in participants at more than double the rate of the group who consumed dairy.

    “These results are very encouraging when we consider the desire of some individuals to choose non-animal derived sources of protein to support muscle mass maintenance or adaptations with training,” said Dr. Benjamin Wall, Associate Professor of Nutritional Physiology, University of Exeter.

    “Our data show that mycoprotein can stimulate muscles to grow faster in the hours following exercise compared with a typical animal comparator protein (milk protein),” he said.

    Last week, Quorn’s UK parent entity Marlow Ingredients announced a collaboration with Danish food start-up Tempty Foods to introduce a range of meat alternatives featuring mycoprotein, the fungus-derived “super protein” the company says is more sustainable than conventional protein sources.

    The post Quorn Foods And Prime Roots Partner To Expand Mycelium Meat Category first appeared on Green Queen.

    The post Quorn Foods And Prime Roots Partner To Expand Mycelium Meat Category appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Aqua Cultured Foods Tackles Food Waste With Dumplings Made From Mycoprotein Offcuts

    dumplings
    3 Mins Read

    Mycoprotein seafood startup Aqua Cultured Foods is tacking on another category disruption beyond its alternative seafood. The Chicago-based company is using up whole-muscle offcuts from its vegan seafood in a new range of dumplings to reduce food waste.

    Angling toward go-to-market partnerships in the Asian foodservice category, Aqua Cultured Foods says its new dumplings featuring its minced mycoprotein seafood can be packaged and co-branded.

    Zero-waste dumplings

    The startup is developing whole-cut calamari, shrimp, scallops, and tuna and whitefish filets with a realistic taste and texture. Using up the off-cuts and imperfect filets for minced filling creates a new market opportunity for the brand as well as a way to reduce its food waste footprint.

    Food waste is a big problem around the world. An estimated 40 percent of edible food is wasted. In the U.S. alone, nearly 110 billion pounds of food is wasted. That’s the equivalent of 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion.

    This Women-Led Startup Is Growing the 'Holy Grail' of Vegan Seafood From Microbes
    Courtesy Aqua Cultured Foods

    Food waste is also a problem for the planet producing about 170 million metric tons of CO2, according to the EPA. That’s the equivalent of emissions produced by 42 coal-powered plants.

    Aqua Cultured says its dumplings are economical and scaleable, requiring less fermentation time than its whole seafood products.

    “We’re glad our partners challenged us to work on dumplings, and lucky to have their guidance through the process of perfecting the taste and filling for Asian palates,” Aqua chief growth officer Brittany Chibe, said in a statement. “I’m especially happy that this product moves us closer to zero-waste by finding use for our off-cuts, with the added bonus that it’s very efficient to make in volumes appropriate for foodservice.” 

    Microbial fermentation seafood

    Aqua Cultured Foods is the first company to use microbial fermentation to create whole muscle cut sustainable seafood alternatives.

    Fermented seafood. Photo by Aqua Cultured Foods.

    Recent research has found a growing interest in seafood alternatives, particularly in Asian markets. According to a recent survey conducted by think tank Good Food Institute APAC, Asian consumers are seeking out alternative seafood over concerns about heavy metals and microplastic in conventional seafood.

    The dumpling market is particularly ripe for innovation. Valued at more than $5 billion in 2020, it’s expected to surpass $10 billion by 2028.

    Aqua Cultured Foods says it’s starting with shrimp mince, but that’s not the end of its exploration. It says it’s looking at mince uses across spicy tuna sushi rolls, seafood cakes and patties, ravioli, and cannelloni, among other uses. 

     Lead photo by Abhishek Sanwa Limbu on Unsplash

    The post Aqua Cultured Foods Tackles Food Waste With Dumplings Made From Mycoprotein Offcuts appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Mycorena’s MIND Facility Becomes Europe’s Largest Mycoprotein Production Plant

    3 Mins Read

    The Mycorena Innovation and Development centre has recently undergone an expansion. The enlarged facility, located in Gothenburg, now takes the title of Europe’s largest operational mycoprotein production factory. Recent construction saw Mycorena’s office headquarters, fermentation facilities, development kitchen and pilot production line all brought together under one roof. 

    Not just the largest, MIND is considered one of the most diverse fermentation locations in Europe. The startup is equipped with multiple custom-designed pieces of equipment spanning desktop to demonstration scale and all capable of manufacturing food-grade mycoprotein. Automation systems have contributed to the facility being regarded as unique within its sector.

    Mycorena’s Promyc.

    Funding Mycorena’s manufacturing scale-up

    In March, Swedish startup Mycorena closed a €24 million Series A funding round. It represented the largest investment into the Nordic alternative protein sector and allowed the startup to fulfil its expansion plans. In addition to increasing the footprint of its existing location, Mycorena revealed that it hopes to build an entirely unique production plant, focussed entirely on its proprietary Promyc protein. MIND has fulfilled its purpose of proving the commercial viability of Promyc, manufacturing suitable demo amounts. Now, full scale-up is needed, with a production plant slated for construction less than one hour away from MIND.

    Current production facilities, housed within MIND, include newly enlarged fermentation capacity and custom downstream processes. Manufacturing activities have been analysed and deemed suitable for food-grade production, with the resulting ingredients all vegan, allergen-free and kosher certified. 

    The future of animal-free protein

    MIND has been designed to facilitate the development of future-friendly vegan protein, using fungi as the base. Within the plant, four labs have been created to focus on specific parts of the fermentation process. The more unique element, however, is the inclusion of a pilot production line capable of making finished mycoprotein products suitable for consumers. This has been dubbed Mycorena’s “fermenter to fork” approach, highlighting the comparison to ‘farm to fork’ meat production. The pilot line is slated to have an annual capacity of thousands of tonnes of minced food items. 

    Sustainability and accessibility have remained driving motivation since the startup’s inception. As a result, it has developed its signature Promyc to be grown using food industry byproducts. When the new plant is built and operational, there will be scope to divert vast amounts of industrial food waste away from conventional garbage.

    Mycelium for a more sustainable food system

    Mycorena is one of the numerous startups looking to leverage the potential and regenerative nature of mycelium, for new food sources. Most recently, Hyfé Foods, a startup from Chicago, bagged $2 million in pre-seed funding to continue its work into mycelium flour. The female-founded and led company was simultaneously awarded a Department of Energy grant.

    Like Mycorena, Hyfé utilises a waste product as its chief feedstock, in this case, waste sugar water. It supports mycelium fermentation, which is processed into a protein-rich flour that can be added to a variety of foods. It is cited as tasting and functioning just like wheat flour but with no allergen risk and improved nutrition. It is a certified carbon neutral product, which can be developed anywhere in the world, with access to Hyfé’s technology.

    In May, Berlin-based Bosque Foods confirmed it has raised $3 million to transform mycelium into meaty whole cuts. First on its list are chicken and pork fillets that will replicate the taste, texture and nutrition of conventional meat products. Discussing the raise, Bosque’s lead investor, FoodLabs, stated that investors are looking at the fermentation arm of alternative protein as having the potential to replace standard plant-based meat.

    All photos by Mycorena.

    The post Mycorena’s MIND Facility Becomes Europe’s Largest Mycoprotein Production Plant appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Novozymes Believes Mycoprotein Is The Future of Sustainable Food and Is Now Asking For Partners To Join Its Journey

    3 Mins Read Can Mycoprotein Save Our Food System? Novozymes Is Betting On It.  Novozymes, the largest enzyme and microbial technology provider based in Denmark, believes that mycoprotein could help shape the future of sustainable food. Now, it’s issuing an Innovation Call to invite startups, researchers, corporations and NGOs to join its journey to co-develop new ways to […]

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  • Vegan Protein Startup Enough Secures US$51M Series B Co-Led By Dutch Animal Feed Major Nutreco

    4 Mins Read Vegan protein startup Enough has raised more than $51 billion in a series B funding round. The company makes a mycoprotein.

    The post Vegan Protein Startup Enough Secures US$51M Series B Co-Led By Dutch Animal Feed Major Nutreco appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Better Meat Co. Opens Giant Fermentation Plant To Produce ‘Rhiza’ Mycoprotein

    4 Mins Read The Better Meat Co. has finished building its huge fermentation plant that will churn out “thousands of pounds” of its new superfood mycoprotein ingredient called Rhiza. The new facility will also serve as its R&D and corporate headquarters, as the B2B sustainable ingredients startup begins to offer its animal-free protein to food businesses developing alternative […]

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  • Unilever Partners With Mycoprotein Startup ‘Enough’ To Expand Plant-Based Meat Portfolio

    3 Mins Read Unilever has announced a new partnership with food tech Enough, formerly known as 3F Bio, to launch new plant-based meat products and keep up with the “explosive growth” of alternative proteins. Enough uses zero-waste fermentation technology to develop its mycoprotein, which will support the Anglo-Dutch food giant’s sustainability plans and its €1 billion (US$1.19 billion) […]

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  • Mycorena To Build Large-Scale Factory To Supply ‘Several Thousand Tons’ Of Fungi Protein

    4 Mins Read Swedish food tech Mycorena is going to establish a large-scale production facility for its fungi-based protein. The factory, which will be built as a joint venture with property management firm Falkenbergsgruppen, claims to be “one of its kind in all of Scandinavia” and is slated to begin supplying the food industry with “several thousand tons” […]

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