Researchers use ‘fungus’ to turn ‘food waste’ into a luxury tablet

“food waste” is a huge problem in the world. About 1,300 million tons of food is wasted every year, or one in three of the food produced worldwide, is thrown away every year According to the World Food Program a team of researchers and chefs have “Fungus“Help turn food waste into delicious food.

fromexamine itWayu Hill-Maini and a team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, used fungi.Neurospora intermediate” orange color can develop in at least 30 plant products, including fruit and vegetable pulp. Includes milk waste from plants. It can be used to make food waste and create new food that is good He won’t let go either. Mycotoxin Natural toxins produced by fungi. which is toxic to human and animal health

“fungus” changes “food waste”

Using germs to produce and preserve food is not new. In Indonesia, there is a local food called “Aung Jom(Oncom) is a food product obtained from fermentation. (fermentation) The main raw material is dried beans such as peanuts, soybeans, and mung beans, which use Neurospora intermedia in fermentation.

Sustainability is an important factor in every business. Among them in the food industry Hill-Maini then introduced the fungus Neurospora intermedia which the Indians use in food processing. be useful in converting waste into food, whichThis type of fungus has properties that stand out from other fungi because it also helps make nutrients more easily absorbed.

“Aung Jom” (Oncom) Local cuisine from Indonesia that uses fungi.Neurospora intermediate“A ferry

Hill-Maini said that the fungus grows very quickly and strongly in many types of waste from the food industry. This also includes waste that is often produced in restaurants, such as bagasse, tomato pomace, and banana peels. In addition, these fungi can convert inedible plant materials such as pectin and cellulose. into a nutritious and delicious meal within about 36 hours The fungus will make the texture more consistent and useful.

“Fungi can easily eat these things. Makes the level of protein increase Change nutritional value change in taste Unpleasant taste disappears. And the beneficial substances are produced in large quantities,” says Höll-Maini.

Luxury dining in a Michelin star restaurant

This fungus is considered a new ingredient for chefs. This opens the door to new creativity and innovation to expand the boundaries of cooking. This will help introduce new colors, textures and flavors without spoiling the food.

The collaboration is with chef Andrew Luzmore, chef and Director of Special Projects at Blue Hill At Stone Barns in New York City. He has tested products made from the fungus Neurospora intermedia, such as oatmeal burgers and moldy bread that resembles toasted cheese sandwiches. Including sausages from scraps of grain and vegetables. To obtain a smooth and fine texture Including the creation of adhesive materials.

Funky dishes from Blue Hill At Stone Barns in New York

“The bacteria have a unique ability to break down cellulose into edible food. Therefore, this fungus is considered a new tool. That adds value and nutritional and economic value to what is considered food waste.” Luzmore told Food & Wine that the restaurant invested in an incubator and a tissue culture machine to process it itself. not sent to Hill-Maini

Luzmore said that “special taste” that can vary depending on the ingredients used and how they are prepared. He said that when the food first comes out of the incubator, it tastes like mushrooms. which has a slight fruity smell But when cooked Smells and tastes like cheddar cheese. which when combined These flavors go well together.

As well as being used in tasty dishes, researchers are also investigating the potential of fungi in desserts and other food creations.

Another chef, Rasmus Munk, co-owner of Alchemist, a two Michelin star restaurant in Copenhagen, uses the fungus Neurospora in his food by fermenting rice for 60 hours to create a crust. ‘ a combination of sweet and fruity aroma with a special taste of fungus. It is served with plum wine jelly and lemon syrup.

“We found that this process changed the aroma and taste significantly. It has a sweet, fruity aroma. I was surprised to discover flavors like banana and pickled fruit without adding anything but fungus,” says Munk.

Rice custard from Alchemist

Hill-Maini said Neurospora intermedia has a remarkable ability to address food stability issues. He plans to further investigate how fungi can be used to recycle waste and produce meat and other dairy products. They also plan to hold workshops for people to learn more about this fungus. to share the findings with people around the world

Although Luzmore says that Neurospora intermedia has been used for thousands of years in Indonesia. But he hopes it will help change the problem of food waste in other parts of the world.

Source: Earth, Food and Wine, Independent, New Expert, The Microbiologist