The project

PLANTOMYC is an innovative initiative set to transform the alternative protein industry. It combines the benefits of plant-based proteins with the taste, aroma, and texture advantages of mycelial protein biomass to create minimally processed, healthy, and flavourful hybrid meat alternatives.
Our focus is on sustainability. We repurpose underused food by-products, such as starch-rich pea protein waste and brewers’ spent grains, to produce mycelial protein biomass.

This is achieved through two fermentation methods: submerged fermentation and solid-state fermentation. Striving for a near-zero waste process, PLANTOMYC also plans to convert the liquid by-product from submerged fermentation into a drink enriched with Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or a rich, savory bouillon. 

In PLANTOMYC, we envision creating unique hybrid meat alternatives that leverage the beneficial characteristics of both pea protein isolate and mycelial protein biomass. In this project, the byproduct of pea protein isolate production will be used to produce mycelial protein biomass through submerged fermentation technology. This mycelial protein biomass will then be blended with pea protein isolate using optimized extrusion processing to create a hybrid meat alternative. Additionally, the product incorporates mycelial protein biomass produced from circular substrates, which helps reduce production costs and promotes sustainability in the alternative protein sector. 

Our vision

Upgrading nutrition, and flavour profile of plant-based alternative protein.

Creating value from waste, and advancing circular and resilient production systems.

Promote green labelling
and reduction of ultra processing.

Building an open-access knowledge platform for sustainable protein sector.

The Sustain-a-bite project is an EU-funded Research & Innovation Action running from October 2024 to March 2028 under the Horizon Europe programme.
It addresses the dual challenge facing today’s food systems: on the one hand, European diets remain nutritionally imbalanced, with high animal-protein consumption and low intake of dietary fibre; on the other, many plant-based foods rely on highly refined ingredients and energy-intensive processing that limit their nutritional value, affordability and sustainability.

The EPIC-SHIFT project is an EU-funded Research & Innovation Action running from November 2024 to October 2027 under the Horizon Europe programme.
It addresses the urgent need for diversified protein systems by investigating novel foods based on alternative proteins (NFAP) drawn from sources such as insects, fungi, algae, bacteria and agricultural or aquaculture by-products