Fungal proteins

Fungal proteins are fungal mycelia which are used as foods or food ingredients, for example Quorn, produced by the continuous fermentation of Fusarium venenatum and also known as mycoprotein. The fermentation biomass is harvested, textured and flavoured to make meat-alternative products valued for their protein content and fibrous bite. In processing, secreted fungal enzymes such as amylases, pectinases and proteases are equally important workhorses. Because some consumers react to fungal proteins, allergen labelling must reflect the fungal source of such ingredients, and novel mycelium foods go through safety assessment before market approval.