Production of superior meat analogues by bridging the benefits of plant proteins and mycelium protein biomass produced from circular substrates

PLANTOMYC is a transformative initiative aiming to reshape the landscape of the alternative protein sector.

It aims to bridge the versatile benefits of plant-based proteins with the functional and organoleptic (taste, aroma, texture) advantages of mycelial protein biomass (MPB) and develop innovative minimally processed hybrid meat analogues that are both healthy, and tasty.

The project promotes sustainability by upcycling underutilized circular substrates such as starch rich pea protein by-product, and brewers spent grains to produce MPB by submerged fermentation (SmF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF), respectively.

Envisioning a near-zero waste process design, PLANTOMYC proposes converting the broth from SmF into a Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) enriched beverage and / or a flavorful bouillon.

Adopting a multi-actor approach, the project addresses challenges related to consumer preferences, technological scaling, and regulatory requirements.

Notably, the impact of PLANTOMYC’s product prototypes on nutritional, functional (gut health & metabolic syndrome), techno-functional, and sensory properties will be assessed thoroughly.

Moreover, to advance PLANTOMYC’s TRL, we perform a comprehensive impact assessment for the adoption of these products, utilizing our consortium’s industrial end-users. PLANTOMYC will significantly increase the competitiveness of European alternative protein initiatives.

It will accelerate the sector by offering an open-access knowledge platform, introducing new production concepts for hybrid meat analogues, increasing resource independence and efficiency, providing new market opportunities for industrial partners like Millow, BRØL, and Lantmännen, increasing the affordability of alternative proteins, and reducing the environmental footprint of protein production