Food System

Mycoproteins, health and taste. Quorn’s ingredients for industry

May 9, 2023

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Mycoproteins express the combination of health and taste – better than other alternative sources of protein to animal sources, as noted (1) – and their pioneer Marlow Foods Ltd. is now making Quorn® ingredients available to the food industry. Insight.

Table of Contents

Mycoproteins, premise

‘Mycoprotein was first discovered in the 1960s, but today its consumption and applications in the food industry continue to grow. This protein is derived from the soil-dwelling fungus Fusarium venenatum A3/5 and is used to produce the mycoproteins contained in Quorn, the main fungal protein source commercially available for human consumption globally’. (2)

Alt proteins obtained from the fungus Fusarium venenatum differ from other sources in several respects. First:

Valuable nutritional contributions. Protein with a complete portfolio of essential amino acids, (3) dietary fiber, fats, minerals. With low levels of anti-nutritional factors (e.g., phytates, instead found in soybeans and other legumes), (4)
health virtues that have already been documented in the scientific literature, albeit not yet submitted to health claims authorization dossiers. One has regard to muscle synthesis, control of satiety and insulin levels, and reduction of blood cholesterol. (5)

Health and taste

Health and taste meet, in mycoproteins, thanks to their mild, neutral flavor that lends itself to a variety of natural flavors and seasonings. Thus:

Quorn’s natural flavor is often described as umami, the fifth taste perceived by humans (besides sweet, salty, bitter and sour). With the prerogative, as noted, of not requiring the addition of salt-whose excessive intake is as common as it is harmful to health-without sacrificing the savory taste,
The texture of mycoproteins is similar to that of animal protein, firm and slightly chewy. The texture of Quorn products, where they are the main ingredient, is therefore often compared to that of chicken or ground meat,
consumers readily accept these alternative sources of protein to those of animal origin, which also due to their pleasant taste can be the main ingredient in foods.

Applications

Marlow Foods has used Quorn, over the decades, to make a wide variety of meat substitutes and dishes valued around the planet not only for their health-related benefits but also for their taste. Alternative products to hamburgers, sausages, patties and chicken nuggets, frozen ready-to-eat foods, soups. But also typically veg flavors.

In recent years, Marlow Foods has responded to the growing demand for plant-based foods with products dedicated to vegan consumers, which in turn are available in various forms (e.g., mince, chunks and fillets), often fortified with the micronutrients that tend to be lacking in their respective diets (e.g., iron, vitamin B12). As well as offering their superfood ingredients to other food industries. (6)

Production

The fungus Fusarium venenatum, the main ingredient in Quorn, is grown in large fermentation facilities, with a process in some respects similar to that used in brewing beer or yogurt. The first plant, one of the largest food production facilities in Europe, is located in England. The others are located on the five continents from Australia and the Philippines to Thailand, South Africa and again Europe (Germany, Holland and Sweden) to the U.S.

‘Just last year, we commissioned our fourth fermenter at Belasis, Quorn’s ‘protein farm’ in the north east of England. And already work is underway to build a fifth, 170,000-liter fermenter. Every week it will produce 375 tons of Quorn mycoprotein, our unique super-protein at the heart of all Quorn products. This will take our overall annual capacity to 67,000 tons of mycoprotein – that’s the protein equivalent of 143,000 cows! – By far the biggest facility of its kind anywhere in the world’ (Marco Bertacca, CEO).

Circular economy and upcycling

The circular economy is the basis of Quorn’s food design, which uses side streams from other agri-food products (e.g., potato starch, wheat protein) as the main substrates for the fermentation process that produces the fungus Fusarium venenatum.

Upcycling co-products from other supply chains-as well as reducing production costs, valorizing waste and optimizing their environmental management-significantly reduces the amount of raw materials needed. And so both the carbon footprint of Quorn’s products and the environmental impact of its operations. Without compromising on health and taste. (6)

Selling prices

Quorn product prices obviously vary depending on a number of factors such as country, distribution and/or delivery channel, and individual product characteristics. In general, Quorn products tend to be priced similarly to meat products, sometimes slightly higher. With far greater profitability, without having to feed cattle for long months or manage the veterinary aspects.

In England, for example, a 500 g package of Quorn Meatless Mince retails for about £2.50-3.00, a price comparable to that of ground beef. In the U.S. in turn, Quorn Meatless Grounds are sold at about $4-5 per 12-ounce (340 g) package. The health and taste price for kibble and mycoprotein patties is a little higher, about $5 to $6 per package.

Acknowledgements

Marlow Foods’ commitment on the various fronts of health and taste, environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility has been rewarded on numerous occasions. Notable international awards include:

‘The Carbon Trust Standard for Carbon’ (UK). Quorn® is the first alt proteins manufacturer in the world to have certified its LCA(Life-Cycle Assessment), back in 2012. And it is cited as an impact story, with an LCA that from the beginning was 13 times less than beef, 4 times less than poultry meat, and continues to improve,
PETA‘s Best Vegan Meat Award (2020), with the vegan burger produced by Quorn® for KFC that also boasts a Quorn Vegan Fillet,
Good Shopping Guide (UK). GSG’s ethical accreditation does not hide some areas for improvement that place Quorn® in the median area of vegan products, on par with
Beyond Meat by Tyson Foods, with 68 points (75 the category benchmark for
vegan & vegetarian foods),
Good Housekeeping Institute (1885), the first U.S. journal of consumer testing, has endorsed Quorn® recognizing the quality, health and taste of its products.

Markets

Quorn Foods is the pioneer and leader, globally, in the production of mycoprotein-based alt proteins. Its products are distributed on five continents, in physical and electronic retail. The B2B market began with Quorn® supplies to food service. Health and taste also in fast food, as well as in restaurants and cafeterias.

‘We have been trailblazers in meat free since we sold our first Quorn product in 1985. By making our mycoprotein available to others, Marlow Ingredients will play a pivotal role in helping us achieve one of our missions – to tackle climate change by making great tasting food’ (Marco Bertacca, Marlow Foods Ltd., CEO).

Quorn® ingredients for the food industry

The turning point is the opening of Marlow Ingredients (7), a new group venture that intends to supply Quorn® mycoproteins to industry and food processors. Meanwhile, Quorn has joined the Fungi Protein Association, with the goal of promoting the fermentation of mushrooms as sustainable sources of high biological value protein. (8)

The ingredient of Quorn® is not subject to the licensing procedure established by the Novel Food Regulation (EU) No 2015/2283, in the face of its dissemination in the Old Continent at a time before May 15, 1997 – the date of entry into force of the first NF Regulation (EC) No 258/1997-and its consequent qualification as a traditional food.

Other mycoprotein products, conversely, are subject to dutiful authorization as novel foods and yet-while lacking authorization-are on the British market. As noted in the report ‘Food 2025’ by the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) at the Food Standard Agency (FSA). (9)

Dario Dongo

Notes

(1) Dario Dongo and Andrea Adelmo Della Penna. Proteins from fungi and micro fungi, mycoproteins, the ABCs. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 12.10.22

(2) Emma J. Derbyshire, Tim J.A. Finnigan. Chapter 16 – Mycoprotein: A futuristic portrayal. Editor: Rajeev Bhat, Future Foods, Academic Press, 2022, Pages 287-303. ISBN 9780323910019. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91001-9.00037-2

(3) Derbyshire EJ, Theobald H, Wall BT, Stephens F. Food for our future: the nutritional science behind the sustainable fungal protein – mycoprotein. A symposium review. J Nutr Sci. 2023 Apr 11;12:e44. doi: 10.1017/jns.2023.29

(4) Dario Dongo and Andrea Adelmo Della Penna. Plant-based alternatives to meats, the nutritional challenges. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 19.12.22

(5) Derbyshire Emma J., Delange Joanne (2021). Fungal Protein: What Is It and What Is the Health Evidence? A Systematic Review Focusing on Mycoprotein. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 5, 2021. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.581682

(6) Dario Dongo. Upcycling, the high road of research and innovation. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 1.1.23

(7) Marlow Ingredients https://www.marlowingredients.com/

(8) Fungi Proteins Association https://www.fungiprotein.org/

(9) ACNFP. Food 2025. https://acnfp.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/ACNFP_119-07%20HS%20Final%20.pdf ANCFP/119/07