Mycoprotein: The new generation of alternative proteins

摘要

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the global meat market will increase from 560 million tons in 2022 to 455 million tons in 2050. In light of this scenario, alternative products are growing in importance. In addition to plant-based meat alternatives, more focus is being placed on cultured meat and proteins obtained through fermentation. Here, mycoprotein in particular plays a considerable role - and for quite different reasons. Mycoprotein has numerous benefits -from the manufacturing process to health benefits, sustainability, and zero waste. Mycoprotein - also known as mycelium, or fungi protein - is produced using biomass fermentation. Since the 1980s, the company Quorn (Marlow Foods, UK) has been using fermentation to produce mycoprotein on an industrial scale using the fungi fusarium venenatum. Mycoprotein is a filamentous fungal biomass with meat-like texture and a high protein content. So far, the focus has been on plant-based meat alternatives. The advantage: Fermentation then results in a natural, low-/minimal processed protein. The process just takes a few days, making it highly time-, cost- and resource efficient.