Mycoprotein

Mycoprotein (lit. "fungus protein") is a form of single-cell protein, also known as fungal protein, derived from fungi for human consumption. Though it is generally well tolerated, some studies indicate that mycoprotein may cause allergic reactions in some people. The only mycoprotein available to consumers is marketed under the brand name Quorn, created from Fusarium venenatum and currently sold in 17 countries. It is a fermented product with a doughy consistency and slight mushroom flavor. In the 1960s F. venenatum was identified by the British company, Rank Hovis McDougall, as a potential protein source for humans. F. venenatum was one of more than 3,000 species of fungi screened during a three-year period for being cheap to reproduce in fungiculture, nutritious, and palatable. Concerns for pathogen-potential of the species on plants led to a twelve-year testing process. Quorn was approved for use in the United Kingdom in 1983 and the United States in 2001. The fungus is grown in vats using glucose syrup as its food. A fermentation vat is filled with the growth medium and then inoculated with the fungal spores. The Fusarium venenatum culture respires aerobically, so for it to grow at an optimum rate, it is supplied with oxygen, and carbon dioxide is drawn from the vat. To make protein, nitrogen (in the form of ammonia) is added and vitamins and minerals needed to support growth. The vat is kept at a constant temperature. The fungus can double its mass every five hours. Eventually the growth medium is drawn off from a tap at the bottom of the fermenter and the mycoprotein is separated and purified. It is a pale yellow solid with a faint taste of mushrooms. Different flavors and tastes can be added to the mycoprotein to add variety. A reproducible mutation occurs after 1,000 to 1,200 hours of cultivation in F. venenatum that greatly reduces the hypha length in the organism, which is considered unfavorable for production. Under normal conditions, this mutant strain will rapidly displace the parent strain.