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Dive Briefing:
- Better Meat Co. is receiving a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense. To increase production of Rhiza, the company's flagship mycoprotein ingredient is already being mass produced at the company's Sacramento pilot plant.
- This grant was part of: The Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program is a White House initiative to encourage American companies to advance biotechnology.
- The Sacramento, Calif.-based company makes mycoproteins by transforming microscopic fungi into sustainable proteins. The grant comes after Better Meat received a “no questions asked” letter from the FDA in July regarding its products.
Dive Insight:
Better meat We sell licorice as an ingredient to food companies looking for sustainable protein options.
This product belongs to similar products launched by Quorn and Enough Foods. Better Meat is Coming In other fungal strains.
A grant would help Better meat The company said it would make products that are free of allergens.
According to a study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, one of the mold ingredients used to make mycoproteins has been linked to symptoms such as sore throat, hives, and swelling around the mouth and eyes. According to the study, one in 140,000 consumers experienced these side effects.
The fungal ingredient cited in the study, Fusarium venenatum, is used by Quorn, one of the first companies to create meat-free ingredients.
Alternative protein sources have also been reported to cause gastrointestinal problems, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Better Meat's Rhiza is made from a different type of fungus, Neurospora crassa.
“We have pioneered a new way to grow microbial fungi into a delicious, protein-packed, meat-like ingredient,” Shapiro said in an email. “This grant will help us scale up our technology so that millions of people can enjoy Rhiza mycoprotein in the future.”
Until now, consumer acceptance has been a barrier for mycoprotein manufacturers, with consumers unsure of what the ingredients are. This is the first Government subsidies for alternative proteins.
According to Precedence Research, the global mycoprotein market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.93% from 2024 to 2033. that As the popularity of sustainable protein sources grows, demand for these products has increased.
