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 production by the end of 2025. In addition to the EU approval, which could take several years, Enifer plans to pursue GRAS status in the US and novel food approval in Singapore.
“Our team has worked hard to compile the data needed to demonstrate PEKILO®’s safety for human consumption”
“We’re incredibly proud to continue the work that visionary scientists began in the 1980s and to take this vital step towards bringing PEKILO® to the market as a food ingredient. Our team has worked hard to compile the data needed to demonstrate PEKILO®’s safety for human consumption, and we’re looking forward to starting the approval process with EFSA,” Elisa Arte, Ingredient Development Manager at Enifer, comments.
A non-chilled mycoprotein
PEKILO is described as a 70% protein and fiber-rich powder with a neutral taste and color. It can be used similarly to plant proteins in multiple food applications, from meat alternatives to baked goods. The Finnish firm says it is exploring applications for its non-chilled mycoprotein in aquafeed with Skretting, a division of Nutreco, for pet food with Purina, and new consumer products with the dairy company Valio.
Enifer uses biomass fermentation and a unique fungus strain that grows with industrial byproducts and waste streams instead of sugar, making it more sustainable. The fermentation process is based on an original technology created by Finnish forest industry engineers in the 1980s to transform byproducts into sustainable feed proteins. Enifer’s achievement has been redesigning the original fermentation process to produce a food-grade ingredient at scale.
Enifer’s new €33-million facility, currently under construction in Kantvik, is expected to produce up to 3,000 tons of protein annually at full capacity. According to the firm, it will be the first worldwide to produce mycoprotein from sidestreams. In May, the firm raised €36 million from new and existing investors, loans, and a €12 million grant from the European Union’s NextGenerationEU programme.
New ways to feed the world
Enifer and Onego Bio, Solar Foods, MeEat, Valio, and Fazer were recently awarded a research and development grant to find new solutions or improve their ingredients through a collaborative project. Meanwhile, other companies producing non-refrigerated mycoproteins include the Dutch startup The Protein Brewery and the US companies Maia Farms and The Better Meat Co., which offer dry and shelf-stable ingredients.
“With the application now submitted, we’re excited to shift our focus on developing innovative products with our partners. PEKILO® has already shown remarkable versatility, and the possibilities are limited only by imagination,” Arte adds.
