The Swedish Foodtech startup Millow opened its first advertising factory in a former Lego production hall in Gothenburg.
The furnishings will use a patented dry fermentation process, in which myzel-die root structure of the mushroom-in feeds a bioreactor from oats. There it quickly grows into a meat alternative that can replace everything from beef skin mincing to Doner Kebab.
Mollow aims to produce 500 kg of the so -called mykoprotein per day on the premises as soon as they are fully functional this year. The founders of the company hope that his product, which is also called Millow, will iron out the kink in the alternative meat sector.
“Critics say that plant meat failed due to taste and transparency. This factory shows that we can both solve on the industrial scale,” said Dr. Staffan Hillberg, Chairman of Millow.
Mollow 'Hackfleisch' in a Poke bowl. Credit: Mollow
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A whopping 6.9 billion during 2021. USD has been invested in alternative protein startups, since the financing has only reached USD 1.1 billion last year, according to the Good Food Institute's data. The only ray of hope for the sector was fermentation, in which VC investment rose by 43% compared to the previous year.
The growing harvest of startups in Europe in Europe are in the Hamburg, endless roots that collected $ 58 million in January to scale its alternative protein from waste products from the beer industry. Another company is based in Berlin that have secured $ 61 million last year Transform mushroom into cheese.
In comparison, Minnow is a Minnow – it has applied a total of $ 3.4 million from two EU subsidies. However, the company is confident in its product. It claims that the food is the purest alternative meat that has ever been produced.
Mushrooms
Millow is only produced with oats and Myzel. In contrast to most mycoprotein products such as quorn, no additional binders or flavors are used. The fermentation process with a dry state has been developed for decades by the company's co -founder, Professor Mohammad Taherzadeh (picture above). The technology promises to reduce water consumption by 95%, energy consumption by 67%and operating costs by two thirds compared to conventional methods.
In contrast to liquid fermentation, which generates thin protein threads that must be mixed and bound with other ingredients, the dry fermentation of M. The entire process takes 24 hours.
“The result is a single ingredient, minimally processed, gliding block that behaves like muscles, not like a reconstituted porridge,” Hillberg told TNW. The protein is then ready to be shaped in finished products such as burgers or meatballs.
In addition to the potential culinary advantages, Millow could also limit global heating. The company estimates that its product can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 97% compared to beef.
At a time when vegetable and cultivated meat alternatives have to struggle, the Millow factory suggests that the fermentation could be the breakthrough of the sector.
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