The Challenge
The global food system faces a dual challenge: providing enough affordable protein, and doing so sustainably.
Protein demand is rising sharply, yet the land, water, and climate costs of livestock-based production make it increasingly unsustainable. At the same time, large volumes of agricultural and food-processing by-products – such as spent grain from breweries and distilleries – are under-utilised or treated as waste.
Ireland currently imports a large portion of its plant-based protein, representing both a vulnerability and a significant opportunity. Developing home-grown, sustainable protein alternatives is essential to strengthening food security, reducing emissions, and building resilience within the Irish bioeconomy.
The Opportunity: Producing a B2B ingredient
Fungi offer a compelling solution. They provide a meat-free source of protein, with additional benefits including high fibre content and low fat levels. Crucially, fungi can be cultivated on low-value substrates, allowing waste streams to be converted into nutritious food ingredients.
FungiTech scientists have evaluated a panel of fungal strains for their ability to colonise brewers’ and distillers’ spent grain. From this work, a proprietary strain has been prioritised for its strong performance in transforming waste grain into a protein- and fibre-rich mycoprotein. This strain also shows promise for producing pure fungal protein through liquid fermentation.
Our Approach
FungiTech is developing a portfolio of mycelium-based food ingredients using a proprietary fungal platform. Early nutritional analysis of mycoprotein grown on spent grain already shows a strong baseline profile, with meaningful protein levels, high fibre, and low fat content. While nutritional optimisation is ongoing, these early results support our core hypothesis: that fungal fermentation can significantly increase the nutritional and commercial value of low-value agricultural by-products.
Our Impact
FungiTech addresses three interconnected food-system challenges:
-
Creating alternative protein sources for both human food and animal feed
-
Valorising agricultural and food-industry waste, starting with spent grain
-
Supporting consumer-driven product development to overcome barriers to mycoprotein adoption, particularly in the EU
Through this approach, FungiTech contributes to reducing the environmental pressures associated with meat production, cutting food-system waste, and expanding the availability and choice of sustainable protein options.