Fusarium venenatum

    Technical Data

    Type of microorganism Fungus
    Microorganism name Fusarium venenatum
    Temperature range 28-30°C (Wiebe, 2002a)
    pH range pH 6 (Wiebe, 2002a)
    Carbon and nitrogen source Glucose, Ammonium (Wiebe, 2002a)
    Growth  rate (µ)
    Companies (product)
    Wild-type or GMO Wild-type
    Feedstock case studies (suitable substrates)
    % SCP (w/w percentage of protein in dried biomass) 44% (Moore et at., 2021)
    cell  biomass dry weight (CDW) = biomass yield? (g/L or g/g?) (weight of biomass/total weight or volume)  30% (w/w) on industrial scale on glucose as C source (Moore et al., 2021)
    Protein content in final product 12,2% (w/w) (Moore et al., 2021)
    Protein titer (g/L or g/g?) grams of protein / total weight or volume 13.2% (w/w) (own calculation based on Moore et al. (2021)) on industrial scale on glucose as C source
    Productivity (g/Lh) 2,1 (own calculation based on Wiebe, (2002a)) on industrial scale with glucose as C source
    Protein yield on C-source (% w/w) 13,6 % (w/w) on glucose on industrial scale (Moore et al., 2021)
    Scale Industial (150 000 L) (Wiebe, 2002a)
    Downstream purification processing complexity   Centrigugation step to isolate. Heat treatment is required to reduce RNA content. Overall minimal downstream processing. (Wiebe, 2002a)
    Nucleic acid content 10% before reduction, 1% after (Wiebe, 2002a)
    Techno-functional and/or nutritional properties (e.g. meat-like texture, amino acid profile, digestibility) High protein content (all amino acids present), rich in fiber, low in saturated fats, meat-like texture, high digestibility (Wiebe 2002a)
    Target application (Food, feed, other) Used in food as a meat alternative
    Advantages Low saturated fat content and no cholesterol present in the product, leading to reduced blood cholesterol levels (Turnbull et al., 1992)
    Challenges (Key limitations, risk factors) Potentially allergenic for some people. Not adviced for children under three years old (Denny et al. 2008)
    Regulatory status in Europe Allowed & on the market in Europe, not under the Novel Food Regulation
    Regulatory status in other parts of the world Quorn has been approved for sale by some of the world’s leading health agencies, including the US Food & Drug Administration, Health Canada, UK Food Standards Agency and Food Safety Australia New Zealand.
    Extra/remark
    Publications/references