Spanish supermarket chain Eroski has partnered with catering leader Ausolan, mycelium specialist Innomy, and the Leartiker Technology Centre to develop desserts and snack bars made with fungal protein.
Called Delifungus, the project has recently been completed following a year of research. It has explored how protein extracted from fungal biomass could be used to produce delicious, balanced, and accessible plant-based foods.
Eroski contributed its knowledge of consumers and market trends, while Ausolan used its experience in industrial production to facilitate the scalability of the processes developed. Meanwhile, Innomy helped to create innovative formulations to optimize the nutritional and functional profile of the products.
Sustainability is a key part of the project, since fungal proteins are said to require less water, space, and resources than other plant-based protein sources. Furthermore, they boast a complete nutritional profile and can be produced very efficiently.
Innovative ingredient
Eroski launched its first own-brand vegan range in 2023, featuring products such as meat alternatives, plant-based milk, tofu, hummus, and ready meals. At the time, the retailer claimed that 44% of Spanish people were buying vegetarian products, while 7.8% of over-18s were eating a plant-forward diet.
The previous year, Innomy raised €1.3 million in a pre-seed funding round to scale, promote, and market its products in Europe. The company uses mycelium to produce a variety of sustainable protein solutions, including for meat alternatives.
“After a year of collaborative research and development, the Delifungus project has been successfully completed,” said Ausolan in a statement. “We have seen how this innovative ingredient can be incorporated into everyday food, and have gained valuable learnings about its behavior during preparation and consumer acceptance.”
