METHODS OF BINDING TEXTURED SUBSTRATES USING MYCELIUM-PRODUCING FUNGI AND FOOD PRODUCTS FORMED THEREFROM

• Main Authors: LE, Kimberlie, NIXON, Joshua, FRELKA, John, YANG, Marisa
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 18.10.2023
• Subjects: BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; HUMAN NECESSITIES; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PHOSPHATIDE COMPOSITIONS FOR FOODSTUFFS; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; PROTEIN COMPOSITIONS FOR FOODSTUFFS; SPIRITS; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES; VINEGAR; WINE; WORKING-UP PROTEINS FOR FOODSTUFFS

Described herein are various embodiments of methods for binding together textured substrates using mycelium-producing fungi. The method can generally include providing a textured substrate, such as a textured protein substrate, that may or may not be subjected to various pre-processing steps used to help promote mycelium growth inside, outside or inside and outside of the textured substrate, inoculating the textured substrate with mycelium-producing fungi, and growing mycelium inside, outside, or inside and outside of the textured substrate to bind the textured substrate. The bound textured substrate can be used as a high protein food, such as meat substitutes, meat analogues, or seafood analogues. In some embodiments, the mycelium-producing fungi is used to bind together multiple textured substrates to form larger composite food products.