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Mass Production of Entomopathogenic Fungi, Metarhizium robertsii and Metarhizium pinghaense, for Commercial Application Against Insect Pests
Published on: March 31, 2022
Filamentous fungi for future functional food and feed
Peter James Strong1, Rachel Self2, Kathrine Allikian3
1Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia; School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia.
Abstract:
In this review, we offer our opinion of current and expected trends regarding the use of mushrooms and mycelia in food and feed. Mushrooms have provided food for millennia and production methods and species diversity have recently expanded. Beyond mushrooms, cultured fungal mycelia are now harvested as a primary product for food. Mushrooms and mycelia provide dietary protein, lipids and fatty acids, vitamins, fibre, and flavour, and can improve the organoleptic properties of processed foods (including meat analogues). Further, they are often key ingredients in nutritional or therapeutic supplements because of diverse specialised metabolites. Mycelia can also improve feed conversion efficiency, gut health, and wellbeing in livestock. New molecular tools, coupled with quality genetic data, are improving production technologies, enabling the synthesis of specialised metabolites, and creating new processing and valorisation opportunities. Production systems for submerged culture are capital intensive, but investment is required considering the scale of the protein market.
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