阅读说明：本技术 用于使真菌菌丝体生长并且从其形成可食用产品的方法 (Method for growing fungal mycelia and forming edible products therefrom ) 是由 T·休金斯 J·怀特利 于 2019-06-07 设计创作，主要内容包括：使真菌菌丝体生长并且形成可食用食品的方法包括使真菌细胞在生长培养基中生长,从而使得所述真菌细胞产生菌丝体。所述生长培养基包含糖、含氮化合物和含磷酸根化合物。将所述菌丝体与所述生长培养基分开。浓缩所述菌丝体,从而获得纤维状菌丝体团块,其具有大于该菌丝体干质量的40wt％的蛋白质含量。可以向所述纤维状菌丝体团块添加食品添加剂以产生生物质。可以使所述生物质形成为可食用食品。可以使所述生物质形成为可食用肉类替代产品。(A method of growing fungal mycelium and forming an edible food product comprises growing fungal cells in a growth medium such that the fungal cells produce mycelium. The growth medium comprises a sugar, a nitrogen-containing compound, and a phosphate-containing compound. Separating the mycelium from the growth medium. Concentrating the mycelium, thereby obtaining a fibrous mycelium mass having a protein content of more than 40 wt% of the mycelium's dry mass. A food additive may be added to the fibrous mycelium mass to produce biomass. The biomass may be formed into an edible food product. The biomass may be formed into an edible meat substitute product.)

1. A method, comprising:

growing a fungal cell in a growth medium comprising a sugar, a nitrogen-containing compound, and a phosphate-containing compound, thereby causing the fungal cell to produce a mycelium;

separating the mycelium from the growth medium; and

concentrating the mycelium, thereby obtaining a fibrous mycelium mass having a protein content of more than 40 wt% of the mycelium's dry mass.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing from 0.01 vol% to 95 vol% of the culture broth comprising the fungal cell and the growth medium; and

adding fresh growth medium to a vessel containing the broth.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sugar is in the range of 5 to 50g/L, the nitrogen-containing compound is in the range of 0.5 to 10g/L, and the phosphate-containing compound is in the range of 0.1 to 5 g/L.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sugar comprises at least one of sucrose, glucose, fructose, or molasses.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the nitrogen-containing compound comprises at least one of ammonium hydroxide, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, urea, yeast extract, or peptone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the phosphorus-containing compound comprises at least one of potassium phosphate, sodium phosphate, or phosphoric acid.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the cell wall of the mycelium is lysed.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding a food additive to the mycelium, the food additive comprising at least one of a plant protein, an animal protein, a fat, an emulsifier, a thickener, a stabilizer, or a flavoring agent.

9. A method of forming an edible food product comprising:

providing a fibrous mycelium mass having a protein content of greater than 40 wt% of the mycelium dry mass;

adding a food additive to the fibrous mycelium mass to produce a biomass; and

forming the biomass into an edible food product.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein forming the biomass into an edible food further comprises:

dewatering the biomass; and

grinding the biomass into a powder.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

incorporating the powder into a baked good.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the edible food product is at least one of a chip, a protein bar, a jerky, a tortilla, a bread, or a cracker.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

molding the biomass into shape.

14. A method of forming an edible meat substitute product comprising:

providing a fibrous mycelium mass having a protein content of greater than 40 wt% of the mycelium dry mass;

adding a food additive to the fibrous mycelium mass to produce a biomass; and

forming the biomass into an edible meat substitute product.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the biomass into an edible meat substitute product comprises:

adding at least one soluble protein to the biomass; and

molding the biomass into an edible meat substitute product.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the biomass into an edible meat substitute product comprises:

adding at least one thickener to the biomass; and

molding the biomass into an edible meat substitute product.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the biomass into an edible meat substitute product comprises:

adding at least one fat source to the biomass; and

molding the biomass into an edible meat substitute product.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

adding a flavoring to the biomass.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the edible meat substitute product comprises at least one of a chicken substitute product, a beef substitute product, a pork substitute product, a veal substitute product, or a fish substitute product.

20. The process of claim 14, wherein the edible meat substitute product comprises 10 wt% to 90 wt% of the fibrous mycelium mass.

21. An edible meat substitute product comprising:

a fibrous mycelium mass in the range of 10 to 100 wt%, said fibrous mycelium mass having a protein content of more than 40 wt% of the dry mass of the fibrous mycelium mass; and

a water content in the range of 0 wt% to 90 wt%.

22. The edible meat substitute product of claim 21, wherein said fibrous mycelium mass is in the range of 10 wt% to 50 wt% and said water content is in the range of 50 wt% to 90 wt%.

23. The edible meat substitute product of claim 22, further comprising:

soluble protein in the range of 1 wt% to 20 wt%; and

a thickener content in the range of 0.01 wt% to 5 wt%.

24. The edible meat substitute product of claim 23, further comprising a fat source in the range of 0 wt% to 10 wt%.

25. The edible meat substitute product of claim 21, further comprising:

soluble protein in the range of 0.01 wt% to 20 wt%;

a thickener content in the range of 0.01 to 5 wt%; and

a fat source in the range of 0 wt% to 50 wt%.

26. The edible meat substitute product of claim 21, further comprising a flavoring agent.

27. The edible meat substitute product of claim 21, wherein said fibrous mycelium mass comprises a combined methionine and cysteine content of at least 20mg/g crude protein.

28. The edible meat substitute product of claim 21, wherein said fibrous mycelium mass has a Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid (PDCAAS) score of 1.

29. The edible meat substitute product of claim 21, wherein said edible meat substitute product has an internal pH in the range of 2 to 9, a dry weight of protein in the range of 20 wt% to 70 wt%, a dry weight of fiber in the range of 5 wt% to 30 wt%, and a dry weight of fat in the range of 0 wt% to 20 wt%.

30. The edible meat substitute product of claim 29, wherein said edible meat substitute product has a color represented by a CIE L value of greater than 55, a Warner-Bratzler shear force of greater than 15N, and a hardness of greater than 50N.

31. An edible sheet comprising:

an edible body comprising a fibrous mycelium mass in the range of 0.1 to 90 wt%, the fibrous mycelium mass having a protein content of greater than 40 wt% of the dry mass of the fibrous mycelium mass;

a water content of less than 20 wt%; and

a carbohydrate content in the range of 0 wt% to 90 wt%,

wherein the fibrous mycelium mass is distributed throughout the edible body.

32. The edible sheet of claim 31, wherein the edible body has a diameter greater than 10 times the thickness of the edible body.

33. The edible sheet of claim 31, further comprising a flavoring agent.

34. The edible sheet of claim 31, wherein the fibrous mycelium mass comprises a combined methionine and cysteine content of at least 20mg/g crude protein.

35. The edible sheet of claim 31, wherein the fibrous mycelium mass has a PDCAAS score of 1.

36. A powdered edible product comprising:

a powdered mycelium pellet having a protein content of greater than 40 wt% of the powdered mycelium pellet.

37. The powdered edible product of claim 36, wherein the particles of the powder have a particle size of less than 150 μm.

38. The powdered edible product of claim 36, wherein the powdered mycelium mass is in the range of 0.1 wt% to 80 wt% of the total mass of the powdered edible product, and wherein the powdered edible product further comprises carbohydrate in the range of 0 wt% to 90 wt%.

39. The powdered edible product of claim 36, wherein the powdered mycelium mass comprises a combined methionine and cysteine content of at least 20mg/g crude protein.

40. The powdered edible product of claim 36, wherein the powdered mycelium pellets have a PDCAAS score of 1.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of fungal mycelium, and more particularly to methods for growing fungal mycelium and forming edible products therefrom.

Background

Food and beverage production and processing facilities are among the leading water consumers and wastewater producers in the world. Examples of such facilities include fruit and vegetable processing, meat processing, dairy processing, snack food processing, and beverage processing facilities, among others. Water is typically used in these facilities for essential processes such as raw material processing, washing materials, transporting materials, and cleaning equipment. Thus, residual water not consumed in food and beverage products is produced as run-off, referred to as waste water. Wastewater from food and beverage facilities is extremely high in Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS), which makes it difficult and expensive to dispose of. These residual streams are often considered as damage to the facility. The only widely practiced solutions are aerobic treatment, anaerobic digestion and fixed membranes; the only useful by-product is the force from anaerobic digestion. Given the enormous capital cost of digesters and other on-site treatment technologies, wastewater is often discharged directly to municipal sewers for treatment.

Furthermore, there is an increasing demand for edible products that can provide high protein content taken from non-animal sources. Driven by increasing awareness of personal health, edible products comprising components of non-animal origin, such as proteins and fibers, are considered healthier alternatives to animal protein-based products. In particular, there is a growing need for edible meat substitutes that mimic meat in their composition and texture but consist of non-animal components, which can reduce dependent animals such as cows, and reduce the carbon footprint caused by such animals. Accordingly, there is a need for non-animal protein sources that can facilitate large-scale production and adoption of non-animal based edible products.

Brief description of the invention

In general, embodiments described herein relate to methods for growing fungal mycelium and forming edible food products therefrom.

In some embodiments, the method comprises growing a fungal cell in a growth medium such that the fungal cell produces mycelium. The growth medium comprises a sugar, a nitrogen-containing compound, and a phosphate-containing compound. The method comprises separating the mycelium from the growth medium and concentrating the mycelium, thereby obtaining a fibrous mycelium mass having a protein content of more than 40 wt% of the mycelium's dry mass.

In some embodiments, a method of forming an edible food product includes providing a fibrous mycelium mass having a protein content greater than 40 wt% of the mycelium dry mass. The method includes adding a food additive to the fibrous mycelium mass to produce a biomass, and forming the biomass into an edible food product.

In some embodiments, a method of forming an edible meat substitute product includes providing a fibrous mycelium mass having a protein content greater than 40 wt% of the mycelium dry mass. The method includes adding a food additive to the fibrous mycelium mass to produce a biomass, and forming the biomass into an edible meat substitute product.

In some embodiments, the edible meat substitute product comprises a fibrous mycelium mass in the range of 10 wt% to 100 wt%. The fibrous mycelium mass has a protein content of more than 40 wt% of the dry mass of the fibrous mycelium mass. The edible meat substitute product comprises a water content in the range of 0 wt% to 90 wt%.

In some embodiments, the edible sheet comprises an edible body. The edible body comprises a fibrous mycelium mass in the range of 0.1 wt% to 90 wt%. The fibrous mycelium mass has a protein content of more than 40 wt% of the dry mass of the fibrous mycelium mass. The edible sheet comprises a water content of less than 20 wt%. The edible sheet comprises a carbohydrate content in the range of 0 wt% to 90 wt%. The fibrous mycelium mass is distributed throughout the edible body.

In some embodiments, the powdered edible product comprises a powdered mycelium mass. The powdered mycelium mass has a protein content of more than 40 wt% of the powdered mycelium mass.

It should be understood that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided that such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein.