mycelium

Mush Foods Grow NYC

Image credit Shalom Daniel on LinkedIn
Company News

Mycelium Producer Mush Foods Receives $250,000 in Grow-NY Food and Agriculture Business Competition

Israeli-based food tech company Mush Foods has been awarded $250,000 in the Grow-NY Food and Agriculture Business Competition. The prize money will support the company’s mission to cut global meat consumption in half by providing alternative meat ingredients made from mycelium.  The Grow-NY competition, funded by Empire State Development and administered by Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement, serves as a platform for innovation and technology in the food, beverage, and agriculture sectors. The event featured twenty global finalists presenting their business plans at the summit, and a total of $3 million in prize money was distributed among seven startups, including Mush Foods, based on judging criteria included the viability of the startup’s business model, customer value, diversity, and agri-food innovation. Mycelium grown through …

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Mycelium bacon on a plate - CellX unveils its mycelium fermentation programme

Image courtesy of CellX
Protein

CellX Ventures into Mycelium Fermentation to Create Proteins for Plant-Based and Hybrid Products

CellX, a biotech that operates China’s largest cultivated and seafood facility, announces a new fermentation program, a parallel venture producing mycelium-derived proteins for alt meat and dairy, functional, and hybrid products.  With this expansion, the company aims to complement its cultivated meat platform and launch sustainable proteins more quickly. “Fermentation and cultivated meat both serve CellX’s vision of providing sustainable protein for everyone,” Operations Manager Liu Yu informs vegconomist.  CellX’s fermentation program has already commenced operations with a pilot-scale production of 10 m3. The company says it is preparing to submit for regulatory approval in China and abroad and is set to introduce its mycelium products into global markets by 2025.  A diverse portfolio of novel proteins The edible fungi strains suitable for fermentation were …

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A vegan mycelium white fish filet with sauce.

Image courtesy of Esencia Foods
Fermentation

Esencia Foods Hosts “Europe’s First” Mycelium Seafood Tasting at Anuga Gastronomy Fair

Esencia Foods, a mycelium biotech from Germany, has been presenting its vegan white fish alternatives to seabass and cod at Anuga 2023. The company claims this marks the first time a mycelium seafood product has been available for tasting at a European gastronomic fair. This year, Anuga has focused on plant-based foods, with an emphasis on alternative seafood. Esencia Foods stated that it is leveraging the opportunity to establish partnerships with restaurants and food service distributors to launch its sustainable seafood products into the market. “Tastings at selected industry-focused events will help us to win important partners, but also to fine-tune our products and learn which dishes can be most successful at the market”, said Hendrik Kaye, founder and CEO of Esencia Foods. A new generation of …

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MycoWorks will open a production facility for luxury animal-free leather

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Leather Alternatives

MycoWorks Unveils World’s First Commercial Mycelium Facility for Luxury Animal-Free Leather

Biomaterials innovator MycoWorks announces it will open the world’s-first commercial-scale mycelium production plant to produce luxury animal-free leather on the 20th of September, 2023. Located in South Carolina, the 136,000-square-foot facility, employing over 350 people, will use MycoWorks patented Fine Mycelium technology to produce “millions of square feet” of Reishi  — a luxury leather alternative with the strength, durability, and hand feel of the finest animal leather but with a lower environmental impact. “Fine Mycelium platform is an unprecedented advancement in materials. Opening the doors on the first commercial-scale factory has MycoWorks poised to answer the luxury industry’s desire to craft objects with natural alternatives to leather,” says Kiersten Stead, MP at DCVC Bio and board member at MycoWorks.  Scalable manufacturing Since Reishi’s introduction, the company has partnered with major …

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Better Meat Mycelium Vegan Fish

©Better Meat Co.
Company News

The Better Meat Co. Forms First Scientific Advisory Board to Advance Use of Mycelium in Alt Protein

Fermented protein innovator The Better Meat Co. announces the formation of its first-ever Scientific Advisory Board (SAB.) The board, which compromises leading experts in filamentous fungi, cell biology, metabolism, genetics, and food safety, is helping to bolster Better Meat’s efforts to advance the use of mycelium in both hybridized and animal-free meat applications.  Better Meat’s first SAB meeting took place on March 13, and its members include:  Louise Glass, PhD – Professor, University of California-Berkeley Jay Dunlap, PhD – Professor,  Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth Heather Hallen-Adams, PhD – Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Matt Sachs, PhD – Professor, Texas A&M University  “The fruiting structures of fungi have been used for food and medicine for thousands of years,” shared board member Louise Glass, PhD. “It’s …

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Mycelium Foie Gras

Mycelium foie gras ©The Better Meat Co.

Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

The Better Meat Co. Hosts ‘Night Under the Fermenters’ Dinner to Showcase Mycelium Bacon, Chicken and Foie Gras

Mycelium innovator The Better Meat Co. reveals it recently hosted “Night Under the Fermenters” – a special dinner to showcase the versatility of its Rhiza mycoprotein ingredient. Featuring 10 different courses, the fine dining experience offered guests a “taste of the future” with mycoprotein-based bacon, chicken, turkey, foie gras, caviar and even baked desserts.  Taking place March 14 at Better Meat’s fermentation headquarters in West Sacramento, CA, the exclusive dinner featured notable guests, including Elysabeth Alfano from Plant-Based Business Hour and Didier Toubia, CEO of Aleph Farms. Guests, who reportedly paid $300 each, dined while immersed in the presence of Better Meat’s mycelia fermenters, an active 3D printer and microscopic mycelium artwork.  The menu was curated by BMC research chef Jared Goldstein and prepared alongside …

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Prime roots deli sandwich quorn

©Prime Roots
Company News

Prime Roots Achieves ‘First’ B Corp Certification for a Mycelium-Based Food Company

Prime Roots, maker of innovative Koji-Meats, announces it has become the ‘first’ mycelium-based food company to receive B Corp certification. Through this recognition, Prime Roots states its company will equitable benefits consumers, employees, communities, and the environment. Co-founded by Kimberlie Le, Prime Roots has transformed from a company primarily focused on ready-made meals to an animal-free deli meat brand. Aiming to disrupt the $300Bn bulk deli industry, Prime Roots creates realistic deli meat slices using koji mycelium – a versatile type of fungi.  Ancient ingredient According to the company, koji is a traditional ingredient used for centuries to make foods like miso and soy sauce, and is a popular ingredient in Michelin-starred restaurants. Prime Roots says koji’s long, microscopic fibers can closely replicate the structures …

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MyBacon package

©MyForest Foods
Company News

MyForest Foods Triples MyBacon Availability, Grows Production and Prepares to Launch First Jerky

Mycelium innovator MyForest Foods Co. announces a series of major growth milestones, including the expanded availability of its flagship MyBacon and the launch of its second product, MyJerky, later this year. The company also reveals new progress in mycelium production and growing its R&D team. MyBacon, MyForest’s best-selling mycelium bacon product, is now available at 32 retailer and foodservice locations across New York and Massachusetts. The news follows MyBacon’s initial debut in New York City with two retail partners in November 2022. The current list of partners includes: A Matter of Health (Upper East Side), Amish Market (East Village), Brooklyn Fare (West Village), Elm Wellness (Greenwich Village), Food For Health (Upper East Side) and Garden Gourmet (The Bronx).  In addition, MyForest announces it is entering …

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Classic Cutlets and Steaks Grilling

Classic Cutlets and Steaks © Meati
Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

Meati Foods Announces Huge ‘Mega Ranch’ Capable of Producing Millions of Pounds of Mycelium

Meati, the Colorado producer famous for its whole cuts made from mycelium, announces the opening of its biggest production facility yet, known as the Mega Ranch. The fully integrated operation is expected to cultivate Meati products at an annual rate of tens of millions of pounds by late 2023. At this rate, Meati says its production will match or exceed that of the largest individual animal-based ranches in the US.  According to Meati, its massive $150M Series C raise in 2022 helped to finance the Mega Ranch, which is designed to scale the company to an omnichannel, national footprint by the end of 2023. Along with a recent contribution by Rockefeller Capital, Meati says it is well-positioned to become a market leader with $1 billion …

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kinoko's fungi-based product served with vegetables

© Kinoko
Fermentation

Kinoko Turns Legumes into High-Quality Protein Foods Using Mycelium & SSF

Kinoko-Tech is an Israel-based B2B company developing high-quality protein plant-based foods by “harnessing fermentation to elevate healthy food to superfood”. The company was founded in 2019 by Jasmin Ravid and Hadar Shohat, to supply food manufacturers and the food service industry with fermented fungi-based ingredients and products to be used as a source of high-quality protein.  Solid state fermentation  Kinoko claims it has developed a solid-state fermentation technology (SSF) platform that supports various fungi strains and legumes, enabling the company to make multiple mycelium-based foods.  The company’s SSF process creates protein-packed nutritious foods containing all nine essential amino acids plus the legume’s fibres. Fermentation and the mycelium give the legumes an umami flavour which tastes like a “combination between lentils and mushrooms,” says Ravid. After …

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a burger

© MycoTechnology
Company News

MycoTechnology’s “Transformative, Game-Changing Plant Protein” Approved by EU

MycoTechnology, of Colorado USA, announces that its fermented mycelium ingredients FermentIQ™ MLL and PTP have been granted Novel Food status by the European Commission. The company’s forthcoming European expansion will be underpinned by its recent $85M Series E fundraise which included Tyson Ventures and Maple Leaf Foods. The authorisation follows a positive opinion issued earlier this year by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), whereby the EFSA considered FermentIQ™ pea and rice protein fermented by shiitake mushroom mycelia as safe for use across multiple applications. EU as next major growth frontier Having secured Novel Food authorisation, the American company says it is set to accelerate its expansion into the European market, which it describes as its next major growth frontier. MycoTechnology has already hired its …

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Better Meat Co Steak

© The Better Meat Co.

Company News

Better Meat Co. Partners with Greenleaf Foods to Develop New Products with Rhiza Mycoprotein

Fermentation specialist The Better Meat Co. announces it has entered a joint development agreement with Greenleaf Foods, SPC, a subsidiary of Canadian meat giant Maple Leaf Foods. According to Better Meat, the agreement will focus largely on product development. Through the partnership, both companies will work together to explore the next generation of alt protein using Better Meat’s novel Rhiza mycoprotein ingredient.  Produced via fermentation, Rhiza mycoprotein is a sustainable, whole-food ingredient derived from the Neorospora crassa fungus, a species long used in parts of Asia to ferment soybeans for tempeh.  According to Better Meat, Rhiza has a naturally meaty texture, with more protein than eggs and more iron than beef. When used as an ingredient for plant-based meats, Rhiza can help to enhance texture, …

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