Dutch company The Protein Brewery and an international food industry partner have been awarded a €2.3 million grant from the EU LIFE Programme. The funding will be used to scale and commercialize Fermotein®, a mycoprotein powder produced by The Protein Brewery, for use in dairy alternative products.
The EU LIFE Programme is the European Union’s funding instrument for environment and climate action. It supports pilot and demonstration-scale projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while accelerating the deployment of sustainable technologies.
Fermotein is described as a nutritious powder that is minimally processed and naturally high in complete protein, prebiotic fiber, essential micronutrients, and bioactives. It is produced using fungal biomass fermentation, a resource-efficient process that converts fungi into a sustainable, nutrient-dense food ingredient with a neutral flavor.
Improving the sustainability and nutrition of dairy alternatives
It is hoped that the new project could address current shortfalls in the nutrition, taste, and affordability of plant-based dairy alternatives, increasing mass-market adoption and lowering environmental impacts. Through the project, The Protein Brewery will work to further optimize and scale its fermentation process to improve taste and functional requirements.
Simultaneously, application and market validation work will be conducted with key players in the dairy alternatives sector to demonstrate consumer acceptance. Additionally, targeted health studies will investigate the nutritional and health benefits of Fermotein when used in dairy alternatives.
The news comes after The Protein Brewery secured €30 million in Series B funding last year to advance its mycoprotein. In December, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued a positive scientific opinion on Fermotein, affirming the safety of the ingredient under the proposed conditions of use. This paves the way for the European Commission and member states to grant final novel food approval.
“This grant will tremendously accelerate the scaling of our groundbreaking ingredient Fermotein, significantly contributing to improving the sustainability and nutrition of the important dairy alternative market,” said Gilbert Verschelling, CTO of The Protein Brewery.
