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 to 6.7 kgCO₂e per kilogram, over seven times more.
PEKILO®Pet is also said to outperform insect protein powder (1.149 kg CO₂e per kilogram), and conventional dry pet food ingredients such as lamb (5.84 kg CO₂e per kilogram). The production process accounts for 47% of PEKILO®Pet’s emissions, while raw materials account for 38% and transportation contributes 14%.
The results come amid increasing awareness of the environmental impact of pet food. A peer-reviewed study published in 2023 found that feeding cats and dogs a meatless diet could free up an area of land larger than Mexico and Germany combined, while significantly reducing water use, emissions, biocide use, and pollutants.
“Unique opportunity”
PEKILO®Pet mycoprotein is a nutrient-rich ingredient produced through biomass fermentation using a unique fungal strain. The process yields a powdery mycoprotein product that is a highly digestible source of protein; it is also rich in beta-glucan fiber and low in fat and carbohydrates.
Last year, Enifer secured €36 million to begin the construction of a facility with the capacity to cultivate up to 3,000 tons of PEKILO® per year. The plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
A few months after raising the funding, Enifer claimed it had become the first Nordic company to seek novel food approval from the European Food Safety Authority for a mycoprotein ingredient, after applying for permission to sell PEKILO® in the EU.
“We are incredibly pleased with the results of this carbon footprint study, which validate the environmental benefits of PEKILO®Pet and our production process in Kantvik, Finland,” said Enifer CEO Simo Ellilä. “The findings reinforce our mission to offer sustainable, high-protein solutions to the pet food industry, and constructing new PEKILO®Pet production facilities across Europe will be a significant development in our journey. PEKILO®Pet presents a unique opportunity to significantly lower carbon emissions while maintaining nutritional excellence.”
