Fungal mycelia (see box below) have considerable potential as a basis for sustainable meat alternatives, but more knowledge is needed about the suitability of different mycelia as a food ingredient. This includes, for example, nutritional content, flavour profiles, and the risk of producing toxins (mycotoxins), as well as how they are digested and how they affect our gut bacteria. The DTU National Food Institute has therefore received approximately DKK 12.5 million from The Plant-Based Food Grant (Plantefonden) for the RUMy project, which will examine mycelia in greater depth.
“We will investigate the mycelia of 32 edible Danish mushroom species for their ability to form a tempeh-like product. They will grow on Nordic plant crops, and in the project we will map potential formation of mycotoxins, nutritional content, and flavour profiles,” says Senior Researcher and Research Group Leader at DTU National Food Institute, Martin Steen Mortensen, and continues:
“We will also examine how they are digested by our gut bacteria, which compounds are formed, and how the gut bacteria are affected — as well as whether digestion differs if the gut bacteria originate from a vegan compared to a person who eats a traditional Danish diet.”
The researchers will also study which of the most food-suitable mycelia consumers prefer. The aim is to enable the food industry to create mycelium-based products that are healthy, safe, and taste better, so that consumers will want to buy them.
“This new knowledge should make it possible to create better mycelium-based products and thereby increase demand for this type of plant-based food,” says Martin Steen Mortensen.
