In the past two years, the mushroom market has begun to usher in a new round of market explosion, especially in the overseas market. Whether it is from the refined development of raw materials, the layout of diversified products on the brand side, or the application of new downstream tracks, mushrooms have undoubtedly become the ‘seed players’ in the market. The main reason for the interest of the nutritional healthcare and functional food industry is the specific bioactive compounds contained in mushroom seeds, mycelium and mushrooms..
The main components of mushrooms are composed of protein, dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals and are low in fat. These nutritional properties make them a popular choice for low-calorie foods in the diet.From bakery products such as biscuits to staple foods such as burgers, this ingredient can be found in a wide range of products..
Barclays Bank released a new research report in May, that in the next 10 years, artificial meat is likely to get 10% of the meat market share, the scale of the rise to 140 billion U.S. dollars, Bill Gates, Li Ka-shing, and so on, have long been flocking to the ‘artificial meat’ track.
Vegetable protein ‘meat’ - ‘potential’
Last July, New York-based startup MyForest foods announced the opening of a vertical farm that will grow 3 million pounds of mycelium per year, all of which will be used for plant-based bacon. Now, rival Meati Foods is set to dwarf them with a facility that, once fully scaled up, will be able to produce more than 45 million pounds. The company announced last week that it was opening a plant in Colorado called Mega Ranch.
Meati Foods is a plant-based protein food company based in the United States that was founded in 2020. The company's mission is to provide consumers with high-quality vegan protein options, thewhile promoting healthier and more sustainable lifestyles.
Meati Foods produces a range of high-protein, low-fat, plant-based protein foods using mushrooms as a base ingredient, including mushroom patties and mushroom sausages. The meats are made from 95% mushroom root, plus oat fibre, seasoning, fruit and vegetable juices and lycopene (for colouring). The company said.Each serving contains up to 17 grams of protein and 12 grams of dietary fibre, with a nutritional value comparable to that of meat of animal origin. These products offer vegetarians a new dietary option through their unique taste, nutritional value and convenience.
The roots of mushrooms are known as mycelium, and they are different from the roots you usually see at the base of most plants and trees. Mycelium is a root-like structure of fungi that consists of a large number of branching, thread-like hyphae. Mycelium absorbs nutrients from the soil or other substrate so that the fungus can grow.
Companies are using mycelium as the basis for a variety of vegan materials, from packaging to leather to biomedical scaffolds. It is a viable raw material thatBecause it's easy to work with - the nutrients in the substrate in which it's grown can be adjusted to produce different properties, such as making it harder or more flexible - and because it grows quickly!; Meati says its proprietary growth formula can convert a teaspoon of spores into the equivalent of whole-grain protein for hundreds of cattle in just a few days.
The mycelium is grown in stainless steel vats (similar to brewery fermenters), where it is infused with a liquid rich in sugar and nutrients to help it grow faster than it would in the wild.Meati harvests the mycelial fibres from the vats, which then have to be assembled in a texture similar to animal muscle.
Meati's new Colorado facility will cover 100,000 square feet and by the end of the year, the company will have produced tens of millions of pounds of product. The products are already sold through retail and foodservice partners, including Sprouts Farmers Market, Sweetgreen and Birdcall, and Meati aims to begin sales at 7,000 new locations by the end of the year.
To date, the company's total funding exceeds $250 million. They expect to earn tens of millions of dollars in revenue this year and hundreds of millions of dollars by 2024. Although Super Ranch opened this year, they are already looking for a ‘Super Ranch’ location that will be able to produce hundreds of millions of pounds of product each year.
Meati Foods endeavours to provide consumers with safe and healthy food by strictly adhering to the highest quality standards in its research, development and production processes. At the same time.The company also focuses on environmental sustainability and endeavours to reduce its impact on the environment.
Recently, Australia's Epicurean Foods has also focused on fungal proteins for meat substitution and ‘mushroom mycelium’ for leather products.
Australia's largest mushroom farm and processing plant is to be established at the former Holden car manufacturing plant in Adelaide, creating up to 350 jobs, according to the Australian government.
The $110 million plant will produce more than 20,000 tonnes of chanterelle mushrooms and other related products annually.
Epicurean Food Group's plant will manage all operations, from cultivating fungi in the lab to turning mushrooms into burgers in commercial kitchens.
Trade and Investment Minister Nick Champion said the revamping of one of the state's most respected manufacturing bases is proof that the industry remains strong and adaptable.
With around 85 per cent of Australia's mushrooms previously sourced from overseas, the plant will provide a continuous supply of locally grown, high quality mushrooms to supermarkets and restaurants that rely heavily on imported stocks..
Specially designed grow rooms will be constructed to grow thousands of shimeji, shiitake, enoki, king oyster and lion's mane exotic varieties on columns up to 13 metres high, with the development taking shape in over 35,000 square metres of multiple buildings.
The plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2024 and will then include fungal proteins for meat substitution and mycelium for leather products.
Epicurean Foods Group, which owns a mushroom farm on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula and supplies more than 40 independent retailers in Adelaide, plans to expand into major South Australian and interstate supermarket chains in the coming months, and into international markets in the longer term.
Plant-protein ‘meat’ is not only healthy but also reduces carbon emissions
In recent years, Microsoft founder Bill Gates has invested in a number of artificial meat research and development companies, Bill Gates in an interview he talked about the motivation for developing artificial meat:Artificial meat has less cholesterol and is not only healthier, but also significantly reduces carbon emissions.
Why is it possible to reduce carbon emissions? The reason for this lies in the fact that in the beef production industry nowadaysCarbon emissions are a big problem. There are now at least 1.5 billion cows in the world, each of which is capable of releasing 160 to 320 litres of methane a day from burping and farting.isthe third largest source of carbon emissions globally, with a share of 6 per cent.
Last week Australian agri-tech company Rumin8 closed a A$17 million ($12 million) seed round led by Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures. The new funding will be used for commercial trials of Rumin8's livestock feed additive to reduce methane emissions.
As investors and consumers continue to pay more attention to health and environmental protection, the plant-based artificial meat market has become the ‘wind mouth’ of the industry in the past two years. From raw material suppliers to brand owners to technology platform supporters, many companies are actively practicing ESG, making green and low-carbon industrial layout and aiming at the entrance of the track here.
In the second half of 2023, VegeSense will also be producing mushrooms, micro fruits and vegetables to provide consumers with a sustainable and environmentally friendly as well as a richer and better quality food source to look forward to!
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