# US 11,432,574 B2 · Enhanced aerobic fermentation methods for producing edible fungal mycelium blended meats and meat analogue compositions

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- Number: US 11,432,574 B2
- Document ID: US11432574B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/561,322
- Filed: 2021-12-23
- Published: 2022-04-21
- Granted: 2022-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-20
- Assignees: The Better Meat Co.
- Applicants: The Better Meat Co.
- Inventors: Augustus H. Pattillo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11432574B2

## CPC

- A23L 31/00: Edible extracts or preparations of fungi; Preparation or treatment thereof
- A23J 1/008: {from microorganisms (A23J1/18 takes precedence)}
- A23J 3/04: Animal proteins
- A23J 3/14: Vegetable proteins
- A23J 3/20: Proteins from microorganisms or unicellular algae
- A23J 3/227: {Meat-like textured foods (meat extenders A23L13/00)}
- A23K 10/12: by fermentation of natural products, e.g. of vegetable material, animal waste material or biomass
- A23K 10/30: from material of plant origin, e.g. roots, seeds or hay; from material of fungal origin, e.g. mushrooms (obtained by microbiological or biochemical processes, e.g. using yeasts or enzymes, A23K10/10)
- A23K 50/40: for carnivorous animals, e.g. cats or dogs
- A23L 13/424: {Addition of non-meat animal protein material, e.g. blood, egg, dairy products, fish; Proteins from microorganisms, yeasts or fungi}
- A23L 13/46: {Addition of, or fermentation with fungi, e.g. yeasts; Enrichment with dried biomass other than starter cultures}
- A23L 33/195: Proteins from microorganisms
- C12N 1/14: Fungi (culture of mushrooms A01G18/00; as new plants A01H15/00); Culture media therefor
- C12P 21/00: Preparation of peptides or proteins (single cell protein C12N1/00)
- Y02P 60/87: Re-use of by-products of food processing for fodder production
- A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)
- A23J: PROTEIN COMPOSITIONS FOR FOODSTUFFS; WORKING-UP PROTEINS FOR FOODSTUFFS; PHOSPHATIDE COMPOSITIONS FOR FOODSTUFFS
- A23K: FODDER
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)}
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Provided herein are shelf-stable protein food ingredients, food products comprising the shelf-stable protein food ingredients, methods of their production, and methods of their use. The shelf-stable protein food ingredients comprise cultured fungal biomass and a limited amount of water. Advantageously, the shelf-stable protein food ingredients can be stored, transported, and delivered within the food supply.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of producing a meat analogue food product from a filamentous fungal mycelium, wherein the method comprises:
a) culturing a filamentous fungi from the genus Neurospora in a liquid growth medium to produce a filamentous fungal biomass slurry comprising about 0.5-8% biomass;
b) harvesting the filamentous fungal biomass slurry and dewatering the filamentous fungal biomass slurry to produce a harvested filamentous fungal biomass comprising about 60-85% water and about 15-40% filamentous fungal biomass;
c) dewatering the harvested filamentous fungal biomass to produce a filamentous fungal biomass cake;
d) producing filamentous particles from the filamentous fungal biomass cake and drying the filamentous particles;
e) sizing the dried filamentous particles to comprise a mean particle size between about 5 mm and about 50 mm or between 5 mm and about 20 mm; and
f) hydrating the sized dried filamentous particles to about 30% to about 70% water content to form the meat analogue food product.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising drying the filamentous particles to about 4% to about 10% water, or to about 4% to about 6% water, drying the filamentous particles at about 50° C. to about 100° C. or both.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the harvested filamentous fungal biomass or the meat analogue food product is pasteurized before drying.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising shaping the meat analogue food product into patties, nuggets, balls, or sausage links.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising mixing or layering the meat analogue food product with a meat to produce a meat blended food product.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the meat is selected from the group consisting of beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, lamb, crab, lobster, venison, bison, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the meat blended food product comprises at least about 5% w/w of the meat analogue food product and at least about 10% w/w of the meat.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising combining the meat analogue food product with plant ingredients, combining the meat analogue food product with one or more natural flavorings, or both, wherein the one or more natural flavorings comprises a natural chicken flavoring, a natural beef flavoring, or a natural pork flavoring.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the meat analogue food comprises protein in an w/w amount of 5-100%, 5-75%, 5-50%, 5-45%, 5-40%, 5-35%, 5-30%, 5-25%, 5-20%, or 5-15%.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid growth medium components are derived from brewing byproducts, brewing spent grains, fruit pulp, grain processing, distillation byproducts, distillation spent grains, corn stillage, potato processing waste, potato blanche water, rice processing waste, wheat straw, dairy whey, coffee processing waste, soda manufacturing waste, molasses, sugarcane bagasse, vinasse, cassava processing waste, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein one or more of the liquid growth medium components are derived from brewing byproducts or brewing spent grains.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the filamentous species are Neurospora intermedia, Neurospora sitophila, Neurospora crassa, or a combination of Neurospora intermedia, Neurospora crassa, and Neurospora sitophila.

### Claim 13

A method of producing a meat analogue food product from a filamentous fungal mycelium, wherein the method comprises:
a) providing a shelf-stable protein food ingredient comprising: filamentous fungal particles from the genus Neurospora with a mean particle size between about 5 mm and about 50 mm, said filamentous fungal particles consisting essentially of cultured filamentous fungal biomass from the genus Neurospora in an amount of at least about 94-96% w/w; and water in an amount of about 4% to about 6% w/w; and
b) hydrating the shelf-stable protein food ingredient to between about 30% to 70% water content to form the meat analogue food product.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising pasteurizing the meat analogue food product.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising shaping the meat analogue food product into patties, nuggets, balls, or sausage links.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising mixing or layering the meat analogue food product with a meat to produce a meat blended food product.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the meat is selected from the group consisting of beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, lamb, crab, lobster, venison, bison, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the meat blended food product comprises at least about 5% w/w of the meat analogue food product and at least about 10% w/w of the meat and wherein the meat analogue food comprises protein in an w/w amount of 5-100%, 5-75%, 5-50%, 5-45%, 5-40%, 5-35%, 5-30%, 5-25%, 5-20%, or 5-15%.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising combining the meat analogue food product with plant ingredients, one or more natural flavorings, or both, wherein the one or more natural flavorings is a natural chicken flavoring, a natural beef flavoring, or a natural pork flavoring.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the meat analogue food comprises protein in an w/w amount of 5-100%, 5-75%, 5-50%, 5-45%, 5-40%, 5-35%, 5-30%, 5-25%, 5-20%, or 5-15%.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the filamentous species are Neurospora intermedia, Neurospora sitophila, Neurospora crassa, or a combination of Neurospora intermedia, Neurospora crassa, and Neurospora sitophila.

### Claim 22

A food product comprising:
a) filamentous fungal particles from the genus Neurospora with a mean particle size between about 5 mm and about 50 mm or between about 5 mm and about 20 mm in an amount of at least about 5% w/w, and water in the amount of about 4% to about 6%; and
b) a food ingredient in an amount of at least about 10% w/w.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The food product of claim 22, wherein the food product comprises about 5-50% w/w of the fungal particles and about 10-40% w/w of the food ingredient, wherein the food product comprises protein in an w/w amount of 5-100%, 5-75%, 5-50%, 5-45%, 5-40%, 5-35%, 5-30%, 5-25%, 5-20%, or 5-15%; fat in an amount of 1-80%; or both.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The food product of claim 22, wherein the fungal particles are selected from the species of Neurospora intermedia, Neurospora sitophila, Neurospora crassa, or a combination of Neurospora intermedia, Neurospora crassa, and Neurospora sitophila.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The food product of claim 22, further comprising albumin, pectin, silicone dioxide, zinc gluconate, vitamin B12, maltodextrin, niacin, sodium ascorbate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, calcium carbonate, sodium alginate, alginate, trisodium phosphate, calcium acetate, methylcellulose, cellulose, bamboo cellulose, annatto, acetic acid, sodium nitrite, sodium benzoate, soy lecithin, natural flavorings, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 26 (depends on 22)

The food product of claim 22, wherein the food ingredient comprises:
a) one or more meat ingredients;
b) one or more plant ingredients; or
c) both one or more meat ingredients and one or more plant ingredients.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The food product of claim 26, wherein the food ingredient further comprises the one or more meat ingredients.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The food product of claim 26, wherein the one or more meat ingredients is selected from beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, lamb, crab, lobster, venison, bison, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 29 (depends on 22)

The food product of claim 22, wherein the food product is in the shape of a patty, nugget, ball, or sausage link.

### Claim 30 (depends on 22)

The food product of claim 22, further comprising one or more natural flavorings selected from the group consisting of: a natural chicken flavoring, a natural beef flavoring, and a natural pork flavoring.