Catering to clean-label consumers, a deeptech food company has secured EU funds for a whole-cut steak alternative derived from fungal fermentation that cuts emissions 93% versus conventional beef.
As part of a dynamic consortium of big-hitters, alternative protein innovator Adamo Foods has received a total of €10M in major project funding from the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU).
The €10M funds MycoStruct – MYcelium-based COmplete Protein STRUCTures for Whole-Cut Scale-Up – a three-year project with 12 European partners. MycoStruct will scale production from pilot to commercial volumes using sustainable feedstocks, and turn industrial leftovers into protein.
Ultimately, the project is designed to create and commercialise a circular, no-waste bioprocess.
Clean-label and no compromise
With plant-based markets currently facing slow growth, Adamo aims to fill a critical gap in meat alternatives by developing no-compromise products that truly compete on taste, texture, nutrition and cost.
Leveraging a new, triple-patented fungal fermentation process, the company produces whole-cut alternatives (starting with steak) that perfectly mimic the complex fibrous matrix of animal muscle tissue.
This process is extremely clean-label and scaleable. Adamo’s products contain only five ingredients, all natural, and have a higher protein quality than conventional beef, much more fibre, and zero cholesterol.
Awarded under the auspices of the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, the new funding will accelerate the commercial-scale deployment of Adamo’s proprietary fermentation technology..
The monies will be transformative for the company, says Pierre Dupuis, Founder and CEO of Adamo Foods:
“We’re not just creating another meat alternative; we’re building a scalable, circular bio-economy that proves delicious, whole-cut steaks can be produced without the animal, and affordably. This funding allows us to move rapidly toward industrial scale with the help of some of Europe’s leading food and fermentation players.”
93% reduction in GHGs
Significantly shrinking the environmental footprint of prime food production, Adamo’s mycelium steak already boasts a 93% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional beef.
Using sustainable feedstocks and advanced biotech innovation as part of the EU-funded MycoStruct project, Adamo and its partners will scale company production from today’s pilot plant to commercial operation.
Pushing the boundaries of plant-based production, MycoStruct has received a rare STEP Seal award from the European Commission. Only ever awarded to a handful of biotech projects historically, the Seal is a quality label that recognises cutting-edge innovation aligned with EU economic and environmental goals.
Circular, bio-based and scalable
Adamo Foods is a deeptech food company dedicated to creating realistic and no-compromise alternatives to meat whole-cuts. Founded in 2021, the company uses a patented and scalable fungal fermentation process to produce clean-label, high-quality steaks and chicken breasts that are fibrous, nutritious, and sustainable. Adamo is backed by leading climate and food-tech investors, including Future Planet Capital.
The three-year MycoStruct project involves a consortium of 12 leading companies and research institutes from across Europe: Adamo Foods, Bidfood Group, Bühler, NIRAS, TU Delft, TFTAK, Bio Base Europe, Haute Ecole de Suisse Specialisée de Suisse Occidentale, Celabor, TBW Research, Holoss, and, Fenix TNT.
The 12 complementary partners have come together to deliver two objectives: to scale and take the Adamo Foods no-compromise products to market; and to valorise industry sidestreams into nutritious protein.
The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) is a €2bn partnership between the European Union (EU) and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC). It funds projects advancing competitive circular bio-based industries in Europe as part of the EU programme for research and innovation, Horizon Europe.
Further Reading:
- More about Adamo Foods; and the MycoStruct project;
- More about the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU);
- More about the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC);
- More on the European Union (EU); and its research and innovation funding programme Horizon Europe;
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- Also on SustMeme, Green light for insect-based proteins in US pet food;
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