Food materials comprising filamentous fungal particles and membrane bioreactor design

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11272726-B2
Application number	US-202117323918-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2021
Priority date	Feb 27, 2019
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

Methods of production of edible filamentous fungal biomat formulations are provided as standalone protein sources and/or protein ingredients in foodstuffs as well as a one-time use or repeated use self-contained biomat reactor comprising a container with at least one compartment and placed within the compartment(s), a feedstock, a fungal inoculum, a gas-permeable membrane, and optionally a liquid nutrient medium.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dairy analog foam material, comprising:
particles of a filamentous fungus; and
a liquid phase,
wherein the solids content of the foam material is between about 5% and about 30%, and wherein the foam is stable.

2. The dairy analog foam material of claim 1 , wherein the filamentous fungus belongs to an order selected from the group consisting of Mucorales, Ustilaginales, Russulales, Polyporales, Agaricales, Pezizales, and Hypocreales.

3. The dairy analog foam material of claim 1 , wherein the particles of the filamentous fungus are particles of a filamentous fungal biomat.

4. The dairy analog foam material of claim 1 , wherein the liquid phase is an aqueous phase.

5. The dairy analog foam material of claim 1 , further comprising nitrogen gas.

6. The dairy analog foam material of claim 1 , having a stability of at least about 50% over 7 days.

7. The dairy analog foam material of claim 1 , wherein the filamentous fungus is selected from the group consisting of:
(a) Fusarium strain MK7 (ATCC Accession Deposit No. PTA-10698);
(b) a filamentous fungus belonging to a species selected from the group consisting of Fusarium venenatum, Flammulina velutipes, Trametes versicolor , and Ganoderma lucidum ; and
(c) a filamentous fungus belonging to the genus Rhizopus.

8. The dairy analog foam material of claim 1 , having a density of between about 0.17 g/cm 3 and about 0.91 g/cm 3 .

9. The dairy analog foam material of claim 1 , having an overrun of at least about 30%.

10. The dairy analog foam material of claim 9 , having an overrun of at least about 75%.

11. The dairy analog foam material of claim 1 , wherein the filamentous fungus belongs to the genus Fusarium.

12. The dairy analog foam material of claim 1 , being free of milk solids.

13. A food product, comprising a foam material, wherein the foam material comprises particles of a filamentous fungus and a liquid phase, wherein the solids content of the foam material is between about 5% and about 30%, and wherein the foam is stable.

14. The food product of claim 13 , wherein the food product is a dairy analog food product.

15. The food product of claim 14 , wherein the dairy analog food product is selected from the group consisting of an ice cream analog food product, a frozen yogurt analog food product, a cheesecake batter analog food product, and a whipped topping analog food product.

16. The food product of claim 13 , wherein cells of the filamentous fungus are lysed.

17. The food product of claim 13 , wherein the filamentous fungus is selected from the group consisting of:
(a) a filamentous fungus belonging to a family selected from the group consisting of Mucoraceae, Ustilaginaceae, Hericiaceae, Polyporaceae, Grifolaceae, Lyophyllaceae, Strophariaceae, Lycoperdaceae, Agaricaceae, Pleurotaceae, Physalacriaceae, Ophiocordycipitaceae, Tuberaceae, Morchellaceae, Sparassidaceae, Nectriaceae, Bionectriaceae, and Cordycipitaceae;
(b) a filamentous fungus belonging to a genus selected from the group consisting of Fusarium and Rhizopus;
(c) a filamentous fungus belonging to a species selected from the group consisting of Rhizopus oligosporus, Ustilago esculenta, Hericululm erinaceus, Polyporous squamosus, Grifola frondosa, Hypsizygus marmoreus, Hypsizygus ulmarius (elm oyster), Calocybe gambosa, Pholiota nameko, Calvatia gigantea, Agaricus bisporus, Stropharia rugosoannulata, Hypholoma lateritium, Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus ostreatus (pearl), Pleurotus ostreatus var. columbinus (Blue oyster), Tuber borchii, Morchella esculenta, Morchella conica, Morchella importuna, Sparassis crispa (cauliflower), Fusarium venenatum , strain MK7 (ATCC Accession Deposit No. PTA-10698), Disciotis venosa, Clonostachys rosea, Cordyceps militaris, Trametes versicolor, Ganoderma lucidum, Flammulina velutipes, Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus djamor, Pleurotus ostreatus , and Leucoagaricus spp.;
(d) a Fusarium venenatum filamentous fungus; and
(e) Fusarium strain MK7 (ATCC Accession Deposit No. PTA-10698).

18. The food product of claim 13 , wherein the filamentous fungus comprises greater than about 40 dry wt. % protein content and less than about 8 dry wt. % RNA content.

19. The food product of claim 13 , wherein the filamentous fungus has at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of: comprises greater than about 45 dry wt. % protein content, comprises less than about 5 dry wt. % RNA content; and both.

20. The food product of claim 13 , wherein the filamentous fungus has at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of: comprises greater than about 50 dry wt. % protein content, comprises less than about 4 dry wt. % RNA content; and both.

21. The food product of claim 13 , wherein the filamentous fungus has at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of: comprises greater than about 60 dry wt. % protein content, comprises less than about 2 dry wt. % RNA content; and both.

22. The food product of claim 13 , wherein the filamentous fungus comprises less than about 10 ppm of a mycotoxin selected from the group consisting of Alfatoxin B1, Alfatoxin B2, Alfatoxin G1, Alfatoxin G2, Fumonisin B1, Fumonisin B2, Fumonisin B3, Ochratoxin A, Nivalenol, Deoxynivalenol, Acetyl deoxynivalenol, Fusarenon X, T-2 Toxin, HT-2 Toxin, Neosolaniol, Diacetoxyscirpenol zearalenone, beauvericin, fusarin C, fusaric acid and any combinations thereof.

23. The food product of claim 13 , wherein the filamentous fungus comprises less than about 10 ppm total mycotoxin content.

24. The food product of claim 13 , wherein the filamentous fungus comprises greater than about 15 wt. % of branched chain amino acids.

25. The food product of claim 13 , wherein the particles of filamentous fungus comprise all essential amino acids.

26. The food product of claim 13 , wherein the dairy analog food product is vegan.

27. The food product of claim 13 , wherein the particles of the filamentous fungus are the sole protein component present in the cultured dairy analog food product.

28. The food product of claim 13 , wherein the particles of the filamentous fungus have an average filament length of less than 900 μm.

Assignees

• The Fynder Group Inc

Inventors

• Macur Richard Eugene
• Avniel Yuval Charles
• Black Renata Usaite
• Hamilton Maximilian Devane
• Harney Michael John
• Eckstrom Eleanore Brophy
• Kozubal Mark Andrew

Classifications

• C12M23/14

  Bags · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• A23C11/10

  containing or not lactose but no other milk components as source of fats, carbohydrates or proteins · CPC title

• C12M25/14

  Scaffolds; Matrices (in general C12N5/0068) · CPC title

• C12M23/40

  Manifolds; Distribution pieces (fluid transfer means B01L3/563) · CPC title