Mycelium: a game-changing protein for people, pets, and fish

The new ingredient provides all essential amino acids with a much smaller carbon footprint than meat

Spotted: Global consumption of alternative proteins needs to increase significantly to reduce pressure on agricultural systems. In the EU, “meat and dairy production are the single largest source of methane emissions,” and the livestock sector takes up over 70 per cent of Europe’s farmland. If alternative protein consumption grows as needed, analysts predict that its production could free up enough arable land to meet Europe’s 25 per cent organic farming target, while also meeting climate neutrality goals.

Belgium-based protein producer Maash is focused on helping to make that transition to sustainable proteins a reality. Maash uses submerged fermentation to grow food-grade protein from a filamentous fungi strain that has been approved for human consumption by EU regulators. Maash uses only a handful of ingredients to grow the protein, called LoCylia, and the speed at which fermentation occurs makes the entire production process efficient, scalable, and sustainable.

Compared to traditional commercial beef production, LoCylia protein uses 99 per cent less land, produces 95 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions and 90 per cent less water. LyCylia proteins are complete, which means that they contain all essential amino acids. The versatility of the final version of LoCylia allows for a range of food applications, with LoCylia AQ for fish, LoCylia PF for pets, and LoCylia FD for humans.

Using LoCylia protein in human food allows new products to better replicate the texture and mouthfeel of traditional proteins. And unlike meat protein and other plant alternatives, LoCylia protein is both vegan and free of dairy, gluten, soy, and nuts. Plus, mycelium-based proteins are easily digested and contribute to feelings of satiety.

From in-house production to biodegradable packaging, Springwise’s library houses a huge variety of innovations making big changes with mycelium.

Written By: Keely Khoury