20 Jun 2022 — A group of Danish scientists has obtained funding to work with cooks at Copenhagen’s two Michelin-starred Alchemist to create a brand new seafood product by rising fungi on seaweed.
Dr. Leonie Jahn from the Technical College of Denmark will work with Diego Prago, head of analysis on the Alchemist, as a part of a research funded by the Good Meals Institute (GFI) to exhibit an progressive methodology of creating sustainable meals by means of fermentation.
If the tactic efficiently recreates the feel and style of seafood, the product could characteristic on the Danish restaurant’s menu, and will additionally go on to be offered extra broadly.
“Our most important aim with the challenge is to try to create a novel and scrumptious product that’s adequate to be served at a high-quality eating restaurant, utilizing pure components with seaweed offering flavors of the ocean and the mycelium including to a horny texture,” remarks Deigo Prado, head of analysis at Alchemist.
Dr. Leonie Johanna Jahn, group coordinator of the Microbial Meals group within the Bacterial Artificial Biology Part on the Technical College of Denmark, feedback: “I believe there’s enormous potential right here – there aren’t quite a lot of seafood options in the marketplace however there’s definitely a necessity for them. That is additionally an space that hasn’t actually been explored earlier than.”
The 2 Michelin-starred Alchemist, Demark (Credit score: Alchemist).Tapping into texture of filamentous fungi
Dr. Jahn’s group will look into how the feel of filamentous fungi – microorganisms present in soil and different environments which type a mass of intertwining strands – can be utilized to create a variety of sustainable meals.
The goal is to determine how completely different situations can be utilized to change the fungi’s texture, creating merchandise starting from scaffolds – which give construction to meat cultivated from animal cells – to animal-free meals that look and style like meat.
The group will finally create a “whole-cut” product with the feel of seafood, by utilizing the fungi to ferment seaweed in a course of much like the manufacturing of the soybean-based dish tempeh.
The scientists will then work with the Alchemist group to recreate the flavour of seafood, making a completed product that might be a fusion of each fungi and seaweed.
Filamentous fungi have been used for hundreds of years, creating every little thing from cheese to penicillin.
Whereas firms have traditionally used fungi components to make animal-free meat, many of the current analysis has been round their dietary worth fairly than how their texture can be utilized in meals manufacturing.
Addressing dwindling ocean shares
Europe already imports thrice extra seafood than it produces, and world demand for seafood is predicted to double by 2050. Practically half of EU marine habitats have already been assessed as both endangered or close to threatened, primarily as a result of air pollution, fishing and aquaculture.
A bunch of firms are pouncing on the fish different growth. Royal DSM, for instance, developed a vegan fish taste resolution, Maxavor Fish YE, derived from algal oil, whereas Solina just lately launched pea and wheat protein options to ship on the suitable steadiness of colour and taste for plant-based tuna.
Final April, US-based Pearlita Meals, a cell-based mollusk firm, introduced strikes to supply the world’s first “ocean-free” oysters cultivated in a managed atmosphere freed from illness or chemical contamination.
Various seafood participant Plantish, which makes use of plant proteins to create premium, whole-cut fish, raised US$12.45 million earlier this 12 months in seed funding, understood to be the most important seed spherical so far within the burgeoning alt-seafood market.
In different strikes, cell-cultured seafood pioneer Finless Meals expanded its product portfolio to incorporate a brand new plant-based tuna providing consisting of 9 entire, plant-based components which might be cooked and seasoned to imitate the style and texture of tuna.
“Seafood is an space the place we urgently must see innovation, and there are enormous alternatives for firms and governments to put money into additional analysis to develop plant-based and cultivated seafood that may assist meet rising demand in a sustainable means,” concludes Kell.
By Benjamin Ferrer
To contact our editorial group please e-mail us at
editorial@cnsmedia.com
Should you discovered this text invaluable, chances are you’ll want to obtain our newsletters.
Subscribe now to obtain the most recent information straight into your inbox.
