Pleurotus djamor Mycelium: Sustainable Production of a Promising Protein Source from Carrot Side Streams

Innovative protein sources are urgently needed to feed a growing global population and to support the increasing shift toward vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. Mycelia of edible fungi offer a sustainable and efficient alternative food source. In this study, 106 fungal strains were explored for their ability to ferment two different liquid carrot side streams. Among the candidates, Pleurotus djamor demonstrated exceptional potential, with high yields of biomass of ∼15 g L^-1 and high protein contents of 31.0 ± 5.9 (optimized orange carrot medium) or 21.6 ± 1.9 g 100 g^-1 (optimized black carrot medium), respectively. When used in burger patties and vegan sausage analogs, the mycelia outperformed vegetable proteins in sensory tests, highlighting their viability as a nutritious, versatile, and consumer-accepted protein alternative.