TECHNOLOGY
OUR TECHNOLOGY
OUR TECHNOLOGY
HOW IT CAN BE USED AND THE BENEFITS
FUNGAL STRAINS
Fungal strains are used in the manufacture of cheese, fermented meats and other foods – providing the characteristic flavours, appearance and features of these foods.
TODAY’S CHALLENGE
Products are made from strains in historic cell banks which reproduce asexually (making copies of themselves). This prevents innovation and strains are subject to genetic drift, and are prone to contamination that causes quality problems in manufacturing and act as a barrier to innovation.
THE TECHNOLOGY
Our discovery - technology to breed asexual Penicillium species- allows the creation of new targeted strains with beneficial characteristics for the maturation and fermentation of food products.
THE BENEFITS
This technology provides better control of product specification, causes fewer manufacturing problems, and can deliver new flavours, colours, enzymes and textures to enable innovation – we call this the ‘natural bio-factory’.
TIME FOR NATURAL SELECTION
Food manufacturers want continuous innovation to attract new customers. Myconeos can provide that; recapturing the diversity of curated strains used in craft food traditionally without genetic manipulation.
Our unique Biobank of strains means we can select and then breed strains with required characteristics such as:
FLAVOUR:
New flavours, reduction of undesirable flavours and control of salt.
FERMENTATION:
Control through strain selection.
BIOREMEDIATION:
Breakdown of waste, and contaminants in food and agriculture systems.
COLOUR:
Produce new natural colour pigments in mould ripened/fermented foods.
AROMA:
Optimise volatile production in mould ripened/fermented food systems.
TEXTURE:
Control breakdown of proteins and fats (lipids) in foods.
Help manufacturers proactively manage their background production flora and fauna, reducing cost, and improving product quality.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
OUR TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP
Mycoforti™ unique superior strains selected to eliminate bitterness traits for the mould-ripened blue cheese
Strains that produce higher salt flavours allowing a reduction of salt to a minimum in cheese
Strain breeding and licensing programme:
Strains breed to characteristic targets and licensed for partners
Fungi bio ingredients
NOW
SOON
Mycoforti Colours™ strains of Penicillium roqueforti with novel colours
Mycocontrol™ unique biocontrol agents for cheese rind
Mycoberti™ a development programme for new Penicillium camemberti fungal surface moulds used in dairy cheese and meat production
Fungal strains
FUTURE
Development of strains of Penicillium roqueforti and Penicillium camemberti to work on plant-based substrates and developmental plant-based dairy caseins
Creation of a rapid strain assessment model for new product development in dairy and plant-based cheese
Fungal bio factories
FUNGI THE SCIENCE STORY
HOW DO WE PRODUCE NEW STRAINS?
We have used natural breeding techniques to sexually cross current Penicillium roqueforti cheese production strains. Our secret is partly in applying the right environmental conditions to induce sexual reproduction and allow us to successfully breed strains together We then select from the resulting offspring those with particularly favourable characteristics. Our techniques are similar to those that have been used for centuries in traditional plant breeding. This is the first time this approach has been used with Penicillium roqueforti. We are using classical and modern DNA methods to identify mating partners and breed new strains. We can use the technique with non-cheese production strains as well, offering exciting future prospects.
WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT OUR STRAINS?
Our new Penicillium roqueforti strains for blue cheese are unique. We know because we have bred them and now have over 250 strains and have tested them, in the laboratory, at cheese producers and at consumers, to select only those that have the desired properties for cheese taste and texture without the typical bitter notes associated with blue cheese cultures. We have engaged closely with the Dairy industry to produce our first commercial strains that meet customer and consumer needs.
Penicillium roqueforti are characterized by different properties, such as colour, proteolytic (degradation of proteins) and lipolytic (degradation of fats) capacity. These determine the characteristics of the cheese at the end of the aging process.
OUR UNIQUE MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES
These ensure that we have only mould spores in our product with guaranteed high viability. We test and validate each batch we produce to deliver the highest quality product that is consistent in performance every time. An example of our passion for quality and detail is that we felt the specification for foreign yeasts and moulds in the current products on the market, was not robust enough. We developed our own analytical method to ensure our products are free from contaminants.
HOW DO OUR STRAINS HELP THE FOOD INDUSTRY OVERCOME SOME OF THEIR CHALLENGES?
DIVERSITY REDUCTION
Widely used asexual industrial strains of moulds show relatively little diversity, creating a lack of innovation and impacting new product development.
MUTATIONS
Mutations generated through asexual reproduction over time can result in undesirable characteristics such as bitterness developing in cheese and meat systems.
LEGISLATION
Salt reduction legislation means an opportunity for ingredients that mimic salt.
ENZYMATIC
Enzymatic activity is difficult to control in fermentation of food products, often causing quality problems and leading to waste.
MANUFACTURERS
Manufacturers struggle to control background flora and fauna in fermented food systems.
CHEMICAL FLAVOURING
Flavours, and aromas are often chemically manufactured leaving a need for natural alternatives to meet consumer demand.
LICENCING, STRAIN RESEARCH AND CONSULTANCY
Fungal Consulting and Testing (worldwide)
Myconeos Ltd.
BioCity Nottingham
Pennyfoot Street
Nottingham NG1 1GF
info@myconeos.com
+44 (0) 115 912 4255