WHAT ARE FUNGI?

Fungi can take many forms, from mushrooms to yeasts, molds and others. The fungi we use is a filamentous fungi, a type of fungi that creates branched microscopic filaments (hyphae). These filaments can grow into large macroscopic structures which is called mycelium. A fungal organism is usually divided into 2 parts: the mycelium and the fruiting body. If you think of mushrooms, the mushroom itself is the fruiting body, while the mycelium is a large fibrous structure that is found underground from where the fruiting body grows.

  • For filamentous fungi, we can grow them in a liquid environment in a way that we grow the whole fungi as mycelium with few or none fruiting bodies. The mycelium of our fungi contains up to 60% protein (dry weight) and 12% fiber, making it a nutritious source of protein. Since the mycelium is a fibrous material, it can be transformed into a meat-like form in which the fibers can resemble animal muscle fibers.

NUTRITION FACTS ABOUT FUNGI

Filamentous fungi will contain between 45 and 60% protein, and a high fiber content (6-15%) dry weight. This type of protein is a complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids. The amino acid content is also quite high, around 55% of the protein content in our case. Usually, we also find a good balance of minerals and vitamins, such as B vitamins, vitamin D and Zinc.

  • High Protein

  • No Sugar

  • High Fiber

  • Multiple Vitamins

A BETTER FOOD RESOURCE

For omnivorous diets, most protein we get is from animal sources like dairy, eggs or meat. We can also get good amounts from protein-rich plants like legumes and beans. Mycoprotein offers a complete protein, balanced with a good fiber and fat content, without presence of known antinutrients.

  • Animal protein sources often offer very complete nutritious profiles, but at the cost of sustainability. They are very resource-intensive, to a point where we couldn’t feed the whole world using animals, because we simply don’t have enough resources. With a growing population, this becomes even more of a problem.

    Besides that, many meats can be unhealthy if consumed in large amounts due to the lack of fiber and presence of saturated fats. Plant-based proteins are a good way to complement nutrition, but many plant protein sources are either not complete proteins (don’t have all the amino acids we need), or they contain antinutrients (molecules that make absorption of other nutrients more difficult).

WIDE APPLICATION OF FUNGI

  • Bio Leather

    Mycelium-based leather is a rising trend. Using the tough and flexible structures created by the fungal mycelium, it’s possible to mimic leather-like materials.

  • Animal Feed

    The main component needed for animal feed is protein. Often, soy is used as the main component of feed. It is possible to use fungi/mycoprotein as animal feed due to very advantageous nutritious profile, and it is possible to convert many feedstocks/waste streams that are not good for feed into fungi which can be used for feed.

  • Lab Grown Meat

    Fungal mycelium has been considered a promising alternative for scaffolding during cell culturing for cultured meat/fish and fat processes. The mycelium can be modified for desired properties to fit the application.

  • Chemical & Pharmaceutical

    Fungi can be used to produce a variety of chemicals such as organic acids and pharmaceuticals. This is done either using the natural bioprocesses existing in fungal cells, or by modifying them to do so. In this case, molecules are produced and then separated from the fungal biomass.

BENEFITS TO WORK WITH FUNGI TECHNOLOGY

  • Scalable

    The technology can be validated and run at very small scale and up to several thousands of tons per year. With volume-based scalability, the fermentation process can be scaled vertically for efficient use of land. Each module is based on established technology for smooth scaling of the process in a fully automated way.

  • Fast Turnover

    The fungi production process is very fast. Fungal mycelium can grow 10 times its size in just one day. This can equal tens of tons turnover per day in a typical processing facility.

  • Produce Anywhere

    As opposed to traditional agriculture processes, fungal fermentation is independent of climate or geographic location, and very robust to the type of nutrients used. Meaning, the process can be implemented anywhere in the world and operated with the same efficiency and scalability.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

There are many more possibilities working with fungi technology, do you want to know how can it benefit your business? Contact us to get a more in-depth understanding.

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