21st.BIO Engineers Safer Fungal Strain for Protein Production, Calls for EU Regulatory Reform
Biotech firm 21st.BIO has developed a new strain of Aspergillus oryzae, a filamentous fungus commonly used in fermentation, that has been engineered to remove all known pathways for producing mycotoxins — potentially harmful compounds sometimes found in fungi. The new strain, described in a peer-reviewed study published in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, was designed to avoid producing substances such as aflatoxins and other unwanted byproducts. It also eliminates the genes …
Research by Low Food Reveals Innovative Applications for Mycoprotein, Including Tofu, Jerky & Gnocchi
Low Food has presented the results of its Low Food Lab Mycelium, which investigated a range of possible applications for mycelium that go beyond meat alternatives. Conducted in collaboration with Flevo Campus, agri-food company Cargill, and B2B mycoprotein ingredient company ENOUGH, the research aimed to create an entirely new category featuring mycelium as a stand-alone product. Using ENOUGH’s ABUNDA mycoprotein, participating chefs and product developers came up with a range …
Investment Climate Podcast: Daniel MacGowan von Holstein of Kynda, How to Get Funded in 2025
In this podcast series, Alex Shandrovsky interviews investors about benchmarks for funding Alt Proteins in 2025 and uncovers the investment playbooks of successful Climate Tech CEOs and Leading VCs. Podcast Host Alex Shandrovksy is a strategic advisor to numerous global food tech accelerators and companies, including alternative proteins and cellular agriculture leaders. His focus is on investor relations and post-raise scale for agrifood tech companies. This podcast is syndicated through …
Study: Enifer’s PEKILO®Pet Mycoprotein Ingredient is Up to Seven Times More Carbon Efficient Than Soy Protein Concentrate
A new life cycle assessment by Finnish biotech company Enifer has found that the carbon footprint of the company’s proprietary mycoprotein ingredient, PEKILO®Pet, is significantly lower than that of many common pet food ingredients. The cradle-to-gate total carbon footprint of PEKILO®Pet, covering fossil, biogenic, land use, land use change, and forestry emissions, was found to be 0.93 kgCO₂e per kilogram of product. In contrast, soy protein concentrate can produce up …
Biomass Fermentation Pioneer Kynda Raises €3M From Investors Including Meat Processor PHW Group
German company Kynda, which describes itself as a pioneer in industrial biomass fermentation, has raised €3 million in seed funding. The round was led by Enjoy Ventures via its Invest-Impuls Scale Fund. Poultry processor PHW Group and Swiss climate tech investor Clima Now also participated. Additionally, impact-oriented investor C.E.L.L. Investment will join a second closing. Kynda develops fermentation technologies and bioreactors that canconvert by-products from the food industry into high-quality …
Infinite Roots Brings Mycelium-Based Meat to South Korea Via Pulmuone After Hitting Regulatory Roadblock in EU
Hamburg-based Infinite Roots (formerly Mushlabs) announces the retail launch of its first mycelium-based meat products developed with Pulmuone, one of the three leading South Korean food manufacturers along with CJ CheilJedang and Daesang Corporation. The initial line offered by this strategic partnership consists of mycelium-based meat burger patties and meatballs, which have launched under Pulmuone’s recognized Earth Diet line. The collaboration was initiated earlier this year to introduce a wide …
Naplasol Debuts Enhanced Mycoprotein Range Following Mycorena Acquisition
Naplasol, a Belgian-based protein manufacturer under the VEOS group, is launching its newly acquired Promyc mycoprotein line at the Food Ingredients Europe (FIE) event in Frankfurt next month. This marks a milestone for Naplasol following its August acquisition of the Swedish mycoprotein company Mycorena, which had halted the construction of its production facility and entered bankruptcy earlier this year. With the acquisition finalized, Naplasol has taken over the production of …
Enifer Breaks New Ground as First Nordic Firm to Seek Novel Food Approval for Mycoprotein
Finnish biotech company Enifer announces that it has applied for regulatory approval from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to sell its flagship ingredient, PEKILO, in the EU. The company claims to be the first Nordic company to apply for a mycoprotein under novel foods. This regulatory step marks a significant milestone in the company’s commercialization efforts, which recently secured funding to build a €33 million production facility, scheduled for …
The Better Meat Co. Expands to Asia with Singapore Approval for Rhiza Mycoprotein
California’s The Better Meat Co. (BMC) announces it has received approval from the Singapore Food Authority to sell its flagship, single-ingredient Rhiza mycoprotein in the country. The approval confirms that Neurospora crassa, the fungi genus that BMC uses in its biomass fermentation process to make the mycoprotein, is safe for human consumption. Neurospora crassa has been traditionally used in Asian foods such as tempeh and oncom, but it has never been used …
US Defense Department Backs The Better Meat Co. with $1.4M for Advanced Biotech Development
The Better Meat Co., a food tech company based in Sacramento, has been awarded a $1.4 million grant from the United States Department of Defense (DoD) as part of the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP). This funding will support the company’s production of its proprietary mycoprotein ingredient, Rhiza. The DBIMP, which aims to strengthen the United States’ bioeconomic capabilities while enhancing the DoD’s advanced defense capabilities, recently announced seven awards …