Frontline Food Consultants and Engineers is a team of professional food consultants, food technologists, and food scientists having rich experience in the food industry. We are here to help you deliver high-quality mycoprotein products that consumers need to fulfill the growing market for healthy plant-based meats. Mycoprotein is a protein ingredient refined from fungi that is high in protein and low in fat and has a texture and taste resemblance to meat and is suitable for use by consumers who care about their health and consumers who observe vegetarianism. 

The food lab setups and New Product Development services revolve around developing new concepts and products out of mycoprotein considering consumer profiles.  This can range from a meal that needs to be cooked further, a prepared snack, or even imitated meat products. For Growing & Harvesting mycoprotein at an industrial level, we offer technological support for implementing a suitable fermentation process that is critical for mass production. Our Process Improvement services fine-tune the methods of fermentation, extraction, and texturization so that the end product fully satisfies the taste, texture, and nutritious value of the food consumers require.

In addition, for mycoprotein products, our Regulatory Compliance & Documentation services will help your products meet safety and quality requirements such as food safety and nutrition labeling. In our Audits & Training services, we work towards keeping a high quality of production through compliance to standards across different batches. We also help you to obtain permits and licenses necessary for producing mycoprotein products. Here at FFCE, we provide complete full-scale turnkey solutions. 

What is Mycoprotein?

Mycoprotein is a nutritionally advanced, high-protein material derived from fungi, more specifically, Fusarium venenatum. It is fermented and is known as the product of the process. The fungi are fermented in large vats after which they are separated, milled, seasoned pasted, and extruded to produce a product that resembles the taste and texture of meat. Mycoprotein has been used extensively in plant-based products and meat replacements owing to its nutritional value. It touches the basic nutritional values such as high protein, low fat, and complete amino acid profile.

Establishing a production base for mycoprotein requires a number of key processes, inclusive of the growth of fungi, by fermentation. It does hence involve the standardization for instance of the temperature, the pH as well as the nutrients in attempts to promote growth and produce the best yield. They include large-scale fermentation vessels, separation equipment for mycoprotein from the fermentation medium, and specialty equipment for converting the mycoprotein into a texture resemblance to a meat product.

The fermentation process requires to be clean and free from interferences by other floras hence constant cleaning of the containers is important. This needs the use of big sterilizers and atmosphere control units. Once the mycoprotein is grown, it can then be flavored, formed, and portioned in whichever manner, depending on the final product, be it burgers, sausages, or meat substitutes.

Types of Mycoprotein Products

  • Mycoprotein produces many products that are employed to meet different requirements in food preparation and eating habits. Some common types include:
  • Meat Alternatives: Quorn‘s, meat-free burgers, sausages, and nuggets can help those who eat less meatful meals satisfy their taste buds because those foods resemble other types of foods with familiar textures and flavors.
  • Ready Meals: Mycoprotein is furthermore applied to ready meals which include stir fry and casserole for it provides a convenient time-saving and healthy meal.
  • Minced Mycoprotein: This kind of food can be applied in many tasty dishes such as pasta sauces, pies, and tacos and the unique meat-like texture of it does not contain any animal products.

Production Process

The production of mycoprotein involves several key steps to ensure high quality, safety, and consistency:

Fermentation

  • Objective: Most of its mycoprotein is grown from the Fusarium venenatum fungus.
  • Process: The fungus is cultured in a high volume fermentation vessel and parameters like temperature, pH level, and DO level are maintained. The fermentation process normally takes between 5-7 days in which the fungus attains a dense structure of protein content.

 

Harvesting and Processing

  • Objective: Take out and process the mycoprotein biomass for usage in the sitting.
  • Process: After some time of fermentation, the fermented biomass is collected and then cultured from the fermentation medium. It is then washed, heat treated, and textured to give it the desirable texture and taste.

Formulation and Flavoring

  • Objective: Get products with good taste and texture.
  • Process: The mycoprotein that we get by processing is mixed with the other components such as the spices and the other food additives such as the binders. This stage involves making formulations on the product and conducting experiments on the formulated product to ensure the recipe meets the consumer’s taste and preferences.

Cooking and Extrusion

  • Objective: Create the last state of the product in terms of texture and color.
  • Process: Mycoprotein its can be cooked or extruded which implies heating and application of pressure to the protein in order to give it the required form. The extrusion also proves the final texture fibrous, as well as achieving a fusion with the taste and texture of meat for application in the culinary processes.

Packaging and Quality Control

  • Objective: Focus on product safety and product quality.
  • Process: The last mycoprotein products are presented in different ways, and they may be frozen or chilled to ensure they reach the customers fresh. To a great extent, quality control procedures are strictly implemented involving sensory examinations and microbiological analyses for product quality and safety.
  • Packaging of mycoprotein products requires innovative designs on the packaging materials.
  • Because mycoprotein products are vulnerable to undesirable factors, the packaging has to be efficient with respect to the shelf life and quality of the products. Here are some key considerations:
  • Flexible Pouches: These pouches are mainly used for frozen or chilled mycoprotein products in a bid to maintain product quality and eliminate the effects of freezer burns. It has been demonstrated that multi-layer laminates have high moisture and oxygen barrier properties.
  • Rigid Containers: For prepared meals and packs of many quantities, containers with stiffness like a tray or tub is more appropriate. Normally, these containers are manufactured from substances that are immune to heat and moisture as well.
  • Sustainability: Recyclable or biodegradable is an attractive feature in packaging as the global population becomes more and more environmentally conscious. Making use of sustainable activities in packaging enable the company to save the environment andcing consumers who consider themselves environmentally friendly.