FNon-focused food startups have started sprouting up almost overnight.
New producers are exploring new ways to supply plant-based burgers, sausages, and “chicken” nuggets made from soy, pea, or other proteins, as well as to supply the growing market for alternative proteins.
Fermenting the root-like spores of specific mushrooms (using the same, old process that makes beer and bread) produces a Protein-rich, flavorless foods called mycoproteins.
Once processed, mycoprotein can be used to make a variety of substitute meat products, and its naturally meat-like structure gives both cost and texture advantages over plant-based proteins, which are also known as meat textures. has to go through an additional process to reproduce. .
Fermented fungal proteins have been in supermarkets since the 1980s when UK brands Quorn Patented its mycoprotein production processes. But now that the patent has expired, a new breed of edible innovators have big plans for the humble mushroom.
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The next wave of mushroom frenzy
Swedish company Mycorena There are plans to use mycoprotein as an ingredient to help partner food companies produce vegetarian food products. Rather than selling directly to consumers, it aims to supply ingredients, technology and expertise to help food companies with little experience in the alternative protein market create self-labeled meat substitute products based on mycoproteins.
the company helped a Swedish brand Make a range of mushroom-protein meatballs, sausage and chicken nuggets, and is busy developing new products like meat-free bacon.
Innovation starts with finding the right mushroom. start up Exploring Chicago’s Naturediscovered a low-carbon method of producing mycoproteins using a fungal strain obtained from Yellowstone National Park.
Instead of the large bioreactors used by many competitors, the “Fy” fungal protein is grown in heated chambers fitted with shallow trays; A process adapted to urban factory production. This unique way of producing products like meat-free breakfast patties and dairy-free cream cheese attracted investor interest.
For an entrepreneur, the potential of mycoproteins far exceeds the production of meat substitutes. Colorado-based MycoTechnology Turns the fungus into a taste enhancer that blocks the taste receptors on the human tongue, masking the bitter taste associated with certain plant-based proteins. This technique is already used in fizzy drinks to remove the bitterness of artificial sweeteners.
“We’re focusing on weeding out sugar, salt, and fat from foods,” CEO Alan Hahn told wired.
There are plans to build a factory that could annually produce 20,000 metric tons of mycoproteins grown on tropical fruit, which would otherwise go to waste.
Read also: Scientists to help Sikkim farmers grow ‘Rs 3,000/Kg’ mushroom variety with improved Vitamin D
The Plant Based Market Is Growing
While some foods come and go, demand for alternative proteins remains high, according to the Plant-Based Foods for Bloomberg Intelligence’s Explosive Growth Report.
Plant-based meat substitutes are predicted to exceed $74 billion by 2030, up from nearly $4.2 billion currently, with industry giants such as Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Eat Just and Oatly driving the market. help increase.
Rising demand has seen several major global fast food burger chain Add plant-based options to their menu.
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With no methane emissions from grazing animals, meat-free proteins such as soy, pea protein and mushrooms are better for the environment than farmed meat, a major driver of biodiversity loss. Is.
In July, Carbon Trust compared the carbon footprint of Quorn’s mycoprotein products against other forms of meat and plant-based proteins.
It found that beef mince has the highest carbon footprint and soybean has the lowest. Quorn was found in Products relatively low carbon footprint.
Earth’s population is ready to reach 9.8 billion by 2050These foods can also help combat food shortages for years to come.
Rethinking the way we produce and consume food is vital to a sustainable future. For this, food system initiative – Part of The World Economic Forum’s uplink platform to source and advance innovations for some of the world’s biggest challenges – Supports innovative technological solutions that have a positive impact on food systems.
Mushroom mycoprotein may play key role in high-protein, vitamin-rich, sustainable diets of tomorrow – but with the support of the uplink via Mobilizing the ‘protein diversification’ challenge There may also be some surprises in the menu of the future.
Today innovative projects are also underway to develop alternative proteins such as cultivated caterpillar And green ants.
johnny wood, Senior Writer, Creative Content
This Article Originally published in World Economic Forum.
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