Tetra Pak collaborates with Mycorena on alternative proteins plant

Charles Brand, EVP at Tetra Pak and Dr. Ramkumar Nair, founder and CEO, Mycorena
Image: Tetra Pak

Tetra Pak and Mycorena are to build a greenfield production facility for fungi fermentation towards alternative protein-based food applications.

The new plant, located in Falkenberg, Sweden, will produce a meat replacement product from fungi.

The factory’s first phase will include mince-based products that will serve as ingredients for making alternative meat products.

Mycorena has ambitious plans to expand its production capacity and extend its geographical reach by opening new factories across Europe and Asia in the near future.

Charles Brand, executive vice president for processing solutions & equipment, Tetra Pak, said of his excited to be working with Mycorena on the project: “The process of fungi fermentation utilises microorganisms that are bioprocessing powerhouses which can create high quality, nutritious proteins. They may be small, but they have the potential to make a big impact on building a more robust and diverse food system, cementing a better future for all.”

Dr. Ramkumar Nair, founder and CEO, Mycorena stressed the importance of fungi fermentation, calling it the “future of the food industry”.

“This new fermentation facility is a state-of-the-art production plant, which provides us with a technology blueprint that will be further expanded in Sweden and replicated globally,” Nair said.

Fungi fermentation is one aspect of food fermentation, which takes natural, age-old processes and uses microbiology to turn microorganisms into tiny production centres that make protein-rich products including alternatives to meat, seafood and dairy. The process also serves to improve texture and taste of traditional plant-based food products.

Tetra Pak’s relationship with Mycorena dates back to 2019 and forms part of the company’s drive to build an ecosystem that helps open new opportunities in the areas of food safety, availability and sustainability.

Related content