Protein source · 02
Mycoprotein and biomass fermentation
A microorganism is grown as food itself. Mycoprotein is the best-known example of biomass fermentation in British supermarkets.
Protein-rich fungi grown by fermentation
In biomass fermentation, microorganisms grow and multiply; the microbial biomass is harvested as the food ingredient. Fungi are one route. This is different from precision fermentation, where microbes are used to make a specific ingredient such as a protein.
Mycoprotein is a familiar example: fungal biomass is processed into a food with a useful texture. The fermenter can run independently of seasons and farmland, but it still needs feedstock, heat, electricity, water and careful process control.
Its footprint therefore depends on the energy mix and factory design as well as the organism. A label such as “fermented” does not by itself tell you whether a product is low impact; the full production system matters.
This is an editorial overview, not a product-specific life-cycle assessment. See our editorial standards for how claims and sources are handled.