Research

FungiTech Project

FungiTech scientists evaluated a panel of fungi for their ability to colonise brewers’ and distillers’ spent grain and have identified the most promising strains. Following this, one strain has been prioritised for its effectiveness in transforming waste grain into a protein- and fibre-rich product which has potential for use in food manufacture. This fungus also shows potential for producing pure fungal protein powder in liquid fermentation.

The mycoprotein is oven- or freeze-dried to produce a mycoprotein flour. Co-design with the industry has resulted in the incorporation of the food ingredient in a range of food products from plant-based chickpea nuggets or sausages to hybrid
(mycoprotein-meat) sausages, to breads (yeast bread and Irish soda bread). Product development and sensory analysis are ongoing, and initial trials are yielding promising results. Co-creation focus groups with consumers are planned to explore product optimisation of the existing products and other product categories and that consumers would like to see developed with mycoprotein.