Start-up uses mushrooms to make plant-based meat that mimics the texture of steaks, chicken breast and jerky
- Mycelium, the vegetative part of fungi, can be processed to mimic cuts of meat, and is packed with healthy protein, zinc, fibre, vitamins and minerals
- US start-up Meati says its product requires fewer chemicals and less processing than other alternative meats
While plenty of plant-based meat companies claim to replicate the taste of the real thing, industry leaders like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods mostly sell products that mimic ground beef or sausages, rather than the texture of a cut of meat.
Now, a new start-up focused on mushrooms wants to change that. Meati Foods, backed by American restaurateurs including Grant Achatz and David Barber, is using mycelium – the vegetative part of fungi – to make jerky, chicken breast, steaks, and deli meat.
The fungi has been used as a replacement for plastic, shipping material, housing insulation, and fake leather, as seen in the vegan Adidas Stan Smith shoe.
Using it for a meat alternative is a relatively new practice, but it shows promise, said Caroline Bushnell of Good Food Institute, an organisation that advocates for plant-based and cell-based foods.