New Swedish Initiative on Mycoprotein as a Future Food Ingredient

The protein of the future does not walk on four legs – it is cultivated through fermentation. Axfoundation is now bringing together Swedish stakeholders in the initiative Mycoprotein – More for Less, with the aim of establishing mycoprotein as a new Swedish staple ingredient in the food system.

Today, only one mycoprotein product is available on Swedish supermarket shelves: Quorn. Fewer people are aware that it is based on mycelium – a finely branched network of fungal filaments that naturally forms a meat-like structure. Knowledge about mycoprotein remains limited, and the market offering is still small.

Mycoprotein can play an important role in the future food system. However, realizing its full potential requires collaboration across the entire value chain.

– Christian Sjöland, Project Manager Future Food at Axfoundation.

At the same time, mycoprotein has characteristics that make it highly relevant in the transition towards a more sustainable food system. It is rich in protein and fiber and can have a significantly lower climate impact than beef. Axfoundation is therefore working to convene industry actors, increase knowledge, and create the conditions necessary for mycoprotein to be established as a Swedish staple ingredient.

– Mycoprotein can play an important role in the future food system. However, realizing its full potential requires collaboration across the entire value chain. This means building knowledge, developing products, and creating the conditions for scaling and real-world implementation, says Christian Sjöland, Project Manager Future Food at Axfoundation.

Meat-like Texture and High Fiber Content

Reducing the climate footprint of food requires lowering consumption of resource-intensive animal proteins. At the same time, many plant-based alternatives rely on fractionated protein ingredients, where protein is isolated from the rest of the plant.

Mycoprotein differs in that the entire fungal biomass is used. The structure develops naturally as the mycelium grows, resulting in a raw material with a fibrous, meat-like texture. This contributes to high nutrient density and preserves fiber and other nutrients that are often removed during fractionation.

How Is Mycoprotein Produced?

Mycoprotein is produced through fermentation in industrial systems.

In solid-state fermentation, the mycelium grows directly on a solid substrate, such as grains or fiber-rich side streams. The harvested biomass consists of mycoprotein integrated with the substrate on which it has grown.

In submerged fermentation, the mycelium grows in a nutrient solution inside bioreactors. The harvested biomass consists of fungal mycelium. The technology resembles other established industrial fermentation processes and has been used commercially since the 1970s.

Mycoprotein in Animal Feed

For several years, Axfoundation has worked with mycoprotein within the project The Feed of the Future for Fish, Pigs, Poultry and Laying hens, where mycoprotein is being tested as an alternative to soy and fishmeal in animal feed. The aim is to reduce the environmental impact of feed.

The next step now focuses on food applications. The ambition is to lay the foundation for a Swedish value chain and industrial-scale production of mycoprotein – with the potential to become part of a future sustainable food system.

During the spring, the project will convene stakeholders from across the value chain to strengthen collaboration, drive product development, and increase knowledge about the potential of mycoprotein.