Scientists from the Technical University of Denmark, collaborating with chefs from the Michelin-starred restaurant Alchemist in Copenhagen, have found that mycelium from oyster mushrooms (P. ostreatus) has excellent potential and acceptance as an alternative to meat and seafood.
Although oyster mushrooms are widely consumed, the culinary qualities and food safety of their root structure have thus far never been explored. But, as part of a project funded by the Good Food Institute, the scientists used biomass fermentation to grow the mycelium on coffee grounds and wood and measure its benefits for food.
After fermentation, the resulting ingredient was found to be protein-rich, containing essential vitamins such as B5 and provitamin D2, while offering lower levels of toxins and allergens compared to their fruiting bodies.
The final say from consumers
With the mycelium ingredient ready, the multidisciplinary team conducted a culinary application and sensory analysis of the oyster mushroom mycelium.
Chefs at Alchemist created a dish called “Mycelium”. They presented the new ingredient at the restaurant’s main dining room to measure consumer’s reactions. For the tasting, foam sauce and apple balsamic vinegar were used as a seasoning.
An untrained consumer panel rated the dish before and after tasting, with average scores indicating a willingness to eat and overall likability. The mycelium scored high for its attributes related to fungi, such as salty, chewy, soft, mild, and nutty, as well as ‘cooked meat’ and ‘umami taste’.
Conversely, attributes like ‘peanut,’ ‘moldy,’ and ‘bitter’ were linked to decreased liking, but notably, the authors note that they did not observe significant food neophobia among consumers, who were mainly enthusiastic about trying the new product.
Safe, nutritious, and enjoyable
The study suggests that enhancing the visual appeal of the product and implementing familiar presentation methods could make consumers more open to trying mycelium-based foods. They said that providing additional information about the product could also help improve acceptance.
The authors hope that the insights from this sensory analysis, published in Food Science, can guide future product development by emphasizing favorable attributes and minimizing less desirable ones. They highlight P. ostreatus mycelium’s potential as a novel food source.
The focus on mycelium or mycoproteins as a clean label source keeps growing. Just last week Infinite Roots launched mycelium-based meat alternatives in collaboration with Pulmuone; wile recently Naplasol debuted a new mycoprotein range, and Enifer applied for regulatory approval in Europe to sell its mycoprotein ingredient PEKILO.
Study author Dr. Loes van Dam of the university’s Novo Nordisk Center for Biosustainability shared: “Food extends far beyond academic research, so it was vital that — as well as establishing that this new product is safe and nutritious — we were able to work with chefs to demonstrate that it could be part of an enjoyable dining experience.”
