A classic cheeseburger served on a brioche roll with fries. GettyCompanies are developing innovative products that don't require livestock or land to meet consumer demand. Researchers are also looking into other options for meatless Monday meals. More companies are looking into fungi-based meat.More than MushroomsFor years, grilled Portobello mushroom steaks were a staple on vegan menus. But the new fungi meat is more than just putting a cap on a bun. Fungi-based meat is made from fungal tissue to imitate the texture and taste of real meat. It is not meant to taste or look like mushrooms. The mycelium is a network made up of fine filaments and looking like threads.Innomy, a Spanish startup, uses fungal tissue cultures to make complex structures that mimic the tender and fibrous texture of meat. According to the company, filamentous fungi are similar in structure to animals' muscles. To make products that taste like meat, they can modify the structure of filamentous fungi in mycelial matrixes.Innomy has been growing its filamentous fungi for six weeks on grains. The fungi-based meat is faster to produce and has additional benefits such as antioxidants, cholesterol-free, and more. The company will launch its products in Spain in 2022, and then expand to other regions in the future.Steak AlternativeMeati, which is part of Emergy Foods Colorado, also focuses on fungi-based beef. To stimulate growth, it grows mycelium in tanks. The mycelium then creates a matrix similar to that of meat. It has been tested in several restaurants.Emergy Foods claims that its fungi-based meat consumes 2% less energy, land, and water than traditional agricultural practices. It also produces a high-quality, nutritious and non-allergenic protein. Its fungi-based meat is rich in fiber, B vitamins and iron.Fungi-Based Vs. Plant-BasedU.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), classifies fungi based foods in the same category as plants-based food. Innomy and Emergy Foods think that fungi-based meats are superior to plant-based foods because they contain more nutrients and have fewer ingredients. The structure of some plant-based meats cannot be compared with fungi-based meats' filaments and matrix.It may prove difficult to convince consumers to choose fungi over plant-based meats, given the FDA's classification. Both the plant-based and fungi-based meat markets will be boosted by concerns about traditional agriculture's environmental impact and cost. Future Mondays will offer consumers more meatless options.
