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Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution

fungi

Aqua Cultured Foods Is Creating Whole Muscle Cuts of Seafood Using Fungi

Seafood is the most traded commodity in the world, and it is estimated that 85 percent of wild fish stocks are overfished or fully exploited. As a way to address the plethora of environmental issues found within the commercial seafood industry, startup Aqua Cultured Foods is developing alternative forms of seafood using fermentation.

The company, based in Chicago, Illinois, is in the process of developing whole muscle cuts of alternative seafood using fungi. I spoke on the phone this week with Anne Palermo, the CEO and founder of Aqua Cultured Foods, who was looking for a solution that could help feed the rapidly growing global population. She said, “The more I looked into fermentation, the more I thought that was the way to do it. You can create whole, bioavailable proteins that are very efficient to produce anywhere in the world.”

Using its fermentation process, Aqua Cultured Foods can produce a wide variety of seafood analogs — shrimp, white fish, ahi tuna, scallops, and calamari, to name a few. According to Palermo, the products will have the slippery and delicate texture found in many types of seafood, and will also contain the vitamin B12, which can sometimes be challenging to acquire naturally in a vegan or plant-based diet.

When asked about the process and tech behind developing the whole-muscle cuts of seafood, Palermo said she could not share much at the moment. The startup currently has three pending patents for its alternative seafood and the process behind it, including one for its proprietary fungi.

The Good Food Institute considers the plant-based seafood industry a white space, and this sector currently only accounts for 1 percent of total plant-based meat sales. There are so many different types and species of seafood, so at the moment there are seemingly endless possibilities for innovation in this space.

For alternative seafood, there are three different categories: plant-based, cultured, and fermentation. Aqua Cultured Foods seems to be really the only company in the fermentation category, but Prime Roots and Quorn each have one alternative seafood product (lobster ravioli and fish sticks). Blue Nalu, Wild Type, Shiok Meats, Avant Meats are a few companies that fall into the cultured meat category. The plant-based category includes Sophie’s Kitchen, New Waves Foods, Good Catch, and Hooked.

Popcorn shrimp will be the first product launched by Aqua Cultured Foods, but the release date of the product has yet to be announced. The whole-muscle cuts of seafood will be available at some point after the popcorn shrimp on retailer shelves.

Unilever Partners With Enough to Add Fungi-Based Protein to Plant-Based Meat Lineup

Univever has had Enough.

Or, rather, will have Enough through a partnership with the Scotland-based company that develops a biomass mycoprotein called Abunda. The two companies announced the partnership today that will add the fungi-based protein to Unilever’s plant-based meat brand it acquired in 2018, The Vegetarian Butcher.

From the release:

Plant-based foods is one of Unilever’s fastest growing segments and we’re delighted to partner with ENOUGH to develop more sustainable protein products that are delicious, nutritious, and a force for good,” said Carla Hilhorst, EVP of R&D for Foods & Refreshment at Unilever. “We’re excited by the potential that this technology has for future innovations across our portfolio, and we can’t wait to launch more plant-based foods that help people cut down on meat, without compromising on taste.

Enough’s Abunda mycoprotein is developed through a fermentation process that feeds sugars from grain crops such as wheat to create a whole food biomass product the company claims uses 90% less water and feed inputs than producing beef. The company, formerly called 3F BIO, is in the process of building a 50 thousand-ton capacity facility to scale up production of Abunda for partners like Unilever.

Enough is just one of many companies producing fungi meat alternative ingredients through fermentation. Some, like Prime Roots and Mycovation are focused on mycelium-derived ingredients. Enough and others like fungi-meat pioneer Quorn and Italy’s Pura, are focused on fermentation-based mycoprotein production.

For Unilever, this is the second time in the last 12 months the large multinational food company has added new plant-based ingredients to its lineup through partnerships with startups. Last year, the company moved into microalgae protein through a partnership with Algenuity.

Gates-Backed Nature’s Fynd Unveils Initial Products Made From Fermented Fungi

Nature’s Fynd, which produces protein made from fermented fungi, unveiled over the weekend its first two products made from its proprietary protein: a dairy-free cream cheese and meatless breakfast patties.

Nature’s Fynd uses a member of the fungi family called Fusarium strain flavolapis for its protein, which was discovered in the geothermal hot springs of Yellowstone. The fungi are fed a combination of nutrients and as they grow, layers of fibers comparable to muscle fibers are formed. After just a few days of growth, the fungi can be harvested and used to make the company’s alternative protein products.

The company’s new dairy-free cream cheese includes Fy Protein (Nature’s Fynd fermented fungi protein), coconut oil, and sugar, and contains 1g of protein. The meatless breakfast patties use Fy Protein as the main ingredient, along with soy and fava bean protein. The serving size of two patties has 12 grams of protein.

Nature’s Fynd has raised an impressive $158 million to date, from backers including Al Gore and Bill Gates. Gates appeared on 60 Minutes this past weekend and spoke about Nature’s Fynd and the environmental benefits of using fungi as an alternative protein source. Gates and Anderson Cooper sampled the company’s dairy-free yogurt, which presumably will be rolled out soon.

Using fungi as an alternative protein source is considered a more sustainable option over animal protein because it does not require vast amounts of water, feed, and land that animals do. Other companies in the space include Meati, which uses fungi, specifically mycelium, to create plant-based steak and chicken alternatives, and AtLast, which makes a plant-based bacon. Prime Roots uses another fungus called koji to produce its plant-based beef, pork, and chicken products.

Nature’s Fynd is currently accepting pre-orders for its first products on its website. The items are for sale as a bundle for $14.99 with $10 shipping.

MycoTechnology Raises $39M Series D for its Mushroom Fermentation Platform

MycoTechnology, which transforms mycelia into functional ingredients like alternate protein, announced this week that it has raised a $39 million Series D round of funding. Food Navigator first reported the news and wrote that the round was co-led by Greenleaf Foods, SPC, S2G Ventures and Evolution Partners, with Tyson Ventures, Kellogg’s Eighteen94 Capital, and others participating. This brings the total amount raised by MycoTechnology to $121 million.

MycoTechnology’s mushroom fermentation platform is used to create a number of mycelia-based products. The company’s ClearTaste promises to act “as a shield for your tongue temporarily blocking bitter tastes from being perceived.” And its PureTaste is an alternative protein source derived from shiitake mushrooms.

Of note in MycoTechnology’s investor list are Tyson and Kellogg, two big names in BIG FOOD. Tyson was already an existing investor in MycoTechnology, but participation from both household names futher illustrates how alternative protein is catching on with the traditional food companies.

Mushrooms as a vehicle for alternative proteins are totally hot right now. Ecovative is using mycelium to give plant-based meats better texture. Prime Roots uses fermented myco-protein to make things like fake bacon (fakon?). And Emergy Foods is making whole cuts of “meat” out of fermented fungi.

As we’ve written before, there are a lot of benefits to this fungi-forward approach to creating alternate proteins. In addition to its ability to recreate meat, it has the same protein profile of traditional meat. Fungi also has fiber, which animal-based meat does not have.

MycoTechnology’s funding comes at a good time as sales of plant-based products are skyrocketing (we know, mushrooms are fungi, not plants, but you get what we’re saying). Plant-based meat sales, in particular during this pandemic have surged as well.

With all this interest and the flexibility of fungi, we’ll probably be seeing more money flow into mycelia this year.

Dye Another Day: Michroma Makes Sustainable Food Coloring through Fungi Fermentation

Be it Red 40 or Yellow 6, food dyes are hiding in a surprising number of food and bev products on your local grocery shelf. Sometimes these dyes are made from natural ingredients like beet juice, turmeric, or even bugs (which means they’re not vegan, and also kinda gross). But natural dyes aren’t as vibrant or heat-resistant as their artificial counterparts, which are typically made from petroleum (also gross).

Michroma, a new company currently participating in science accelerator IndieBio, is out to recast the food dye industry. The startup is developing a platform to create dyes through fermentation, specifically mushroom root fermentation. Michroma scientists use CRISPR to edit the genes in particular strains of fungi so that when they’re placed in a bioreactor they secrete vibrant, colorful dyes.

Ricky Cassini and Mauricio Braia founded the company a year ago in Argentina before moving to San Francisco for IndieBio. Cassini, who is the CEO, told me over the phone this week that Michroma has raised $250,000 from IndieBio and previously raised $200,000 in Argentina.

According to Cassini, Michroma’s fermentation process could usher in a more sustainable production method for food dyes. In addition to being free from stuff like petroleum and crushed-up bugs, Michroma’s dyes are incredibly scalable to produce since the funghi require very little light, space and energy. Cassini also told me that their fermented dyes are significantly more heat-resistant than plant-derived natural dyes.

Michroma is currently focused on developing red dye. The company can already make orange and yellow. Next up it’ll tackle blue, green and black food colorings.

For now, the startup is creating dyes at a lab scale and, according to Cassini, their products are already cost-competitive with plant- and insect-based dyes. Michroma will sell its dyes B2B to large food corporations (as well as cosmetic and pharma companies), but that won’t happen for a while yet. Cassini said that since their technology is new for food dye, they need to go through something called a “color additive petition” to have it recognized as safe to eat. That could take up to two years. By that time, Cassini said that the fermented dyes will cost around the same as those made with petroleum.

However, he’s hoping that it won’t take a full two years before they can start selling. If he’s right, maybe soon you’ll be able to scan the back of a bag of Dorito’s and see “fermented dye” listed instead of, you know, petroleum and bugs.

Emergy Foods Makes Very Realistic-Looking Steak Alternatives From Fermented Mushroom Roots

Today Boulder, CO-based startup Emergy Foods announced the release of its first alternative meat brand, Meati Foods.

Meati Foods will focus on making whole cuts of meat from fermented fungi, also known as mycelium. Unlike most plant-based meats, Meati Foods’ offerings are free of pea, wheat, and soy. According to Emergy Foods CEO Tyler Huggins, who I spoke with over the phone today, opting for mycelium allows Meati to mimic the look and mouthfeel of whole cuts of protein, such as steak and chicken breast, which is difficult to do with other proteins.

In addition to better being able to replicate the texture of meat, mycelium has some inherent nutritional benefits. “It has the same protein profile of meat, and the same quantity [of protein] as chicken or steak,” Huggins told me. It also comes with fiber, which traditional meat doesn’t have.

Photo: Emergy Foods

At first Meati Foods will sell to high-end restaurants in order to build their brand. Huggins said that their products will likely be priced on par with traditional meat at these spots. As they scale he expects they’ll be able to match wholesale meat prices for chicken and beef, They plan to move into retail soon, but are currently limited by production capacity.

Founded in 2016 by two PhD students, Emergy Foods announced back in July that it had closed a $4.8 million funding round and currently has a team of 10.

If you want to try Meati’s realistic-looking steaks, you might not have much longer to wait (provided you’re in the Colorado area). Meati is preparing for a beta launch at the end of 2019 and is expecting to launch in restaurants in early 2020.

Emergy Foods isn’t the first brand to leverage mycelium as a magical ingredient to mimic meat. Prime Roots uses ‘shroom roots to make a variety of animal product alternatives, from bacon to crab cakes to chicken breast. Though it chiefly sells in Europe, alt-meat giant Quorn uses fermented fungi as the base for its wide array of products. There’s also Atlast Foods, a spinoff of Ecovative, which makes mycelium-based scaffolding for use in a myriad of meat alternatives, both plant-based and cell-based.

Based off of their product offerings and target demographics, it looks like Prime Roots will be Meati Foods’ biggest competitor. When I asked Huggins how he’ll differentiate himself, he said that Meati uses a “unique strain of mycelium” which can really accurately imitate meat.

Both companies are looking to begin selling their products in early 2020, so soon we might be able to put both products to a taste test. But with demand for protein alternatives on the rise, there’s plenty of room for more than one player in the fungi-meat game to put down roots.

Food Tech News Roundup: Fungi Burgers, Pineapple Beer, and Chatbot Bartenders

Summer has descended upon us like a thick, laze-inducing haze. If you’re like us, all you want to do is head to the local pool and drink cool beverages out of our stainless steel straws.

Steamy weekends are not the time for more work, so we went ahead and rounded up some news-worthy food tech stories from around the web for your reading pleasure. Bonus: you can peruse while you’re lounging in air conditioning.

Bronx Brewery Beer Fights Produce Waste
On July 30th New York’s Bronx Brewery will release a beer made with repurposed food scraps. Called More To The Core, it’s a Kolsch style ale brewed with pineapple cores and skins, which are normally tossed into the trash and end up in landfills. This tasty, waste-y beer is a collaboration between Baldor Specialty Foods and The Bronx Brewery, and is available in their taproom.

 

Capital sprouts up for fungi-based meat company
This week Terramino Foods, a startup which uses fungi to make meat and seafood alternatives, raised $4.25 million in a seed funding round co-led by Collaborative Fund and True Ventures. In a press release, True Ventures indicated that Terramino Foods has already developed a plant-based salmon burger, and has plans to create alternatives to beef, chicken, and pork with its new capital. 

 

Costco partners with Zest Labs to optimize food supply chain
Wholesale giant Costco announced this week that it would start working with Zest Labs, a company which works in fresh food supply chain traceability. According to a press release, Costco is expecting this partnership to help modernize and optimize their fresh foods, reducing food waste up to 50%.

 

McDonald’s workers are short on soft skills
This week McDonald’s released the results of its Workplace Preparedness Study, which analyzed skill development across multiple age groups. The survey polled 6,200 people and discovered that many were missing soft skills, such as teamwork, customer service, and responsibility. We’ve addressed the restaurant labor shortage before on the Spoon, and have wondered if companies will pad their meager workforce with robots in coming years. But will robots have better soft skills than teenagers looking for a summer job? Or maybe the robots will take over the physically repetitive jobs, like food prep and dish running, freeing up people with soft skills to interact with customers.

 

Allrecipes & Tito’s vodka launch Barkeep, a chatbot ‘bartender’

Ready to get your drink on through Facebook? Allrecipes and Tito’s vodka got you covered. The recipe site is working with the Austin, TX craft vodka maker to launch a chatbot by the name of Barkeep using Facebook Messenger chatbot platform. After checking if the user is of legal drinking age, Barkeep suggests a few cocktails (using Tito’s, natch) and then walks the user through a conversation branch flow that has the user ultimately choose a cocktail recipe. Once a recipe is picked and the user is sent to Allrecipes, they can then order their some Tito’s or other liquor through Drizly. You can try Barkeep out for yourself here.

Did we miss anything? Tweet us @TheSpoonTech!