NS entrepreneurs developing mushroom roots as sustainable, high-protein food product

Inside a dark growing chamber inside a research laboratory at Acadia University, a lumpy white substance blooms from an industrial tray.

It looks like meringue, or snow, or spray-foam insulation.

This alien-looking living organism with a “mind of its own” is mycelium – the roots of a mushroom.

Acadia researchers have teamed up with an entrepreneur to develop and perfect a process they hope will someday use the mycelium to produce high-protein powders for the commercial food market.

The project is the brainchild of Katie McNeil, who started a few years ago with just an idea.

McNeil, who has a background in agriculture, noticed that some agricultural food products in the valley were being wasted – burned or thrown into landfills. He saw their potential.

“I found some literature that showed it could be very helpful in growing high-protein mushrooms,” she says.

She connected with Acadia biologist Alison Walker and the two worked together.

They chose a special food waste from a food-grade facility in the valley to grow the mycelium—which they won’t disclose for proprietary reasons.

Then, they experimented with different species of mushrooms as well as temperature and humidity to find the optimal growing conditions.

Walker explains that they first make a liquid broth of the mycelium and mix it with food waste.

She lets the mycelium grow for a few days “to get big, juicy and happy” before wasting more food and finally transferring the mycelium to a tray.

“Normally if you think about mushrooms in the forest, the mycelium is growing down and exploring the soil,” says Walker. “We’re trying to minimize it and maximize it.”

It stops the mycelium’s growth before it can produce mushrooms, and the entire process from start to harvest takes from a week to 10 days.

High in protein, low in inputs

While the mushrooms themselves are about 90 percent water, and typically have protein levels of about two percent, the mycelium Walker and McNeil produce is about 40 percent protein.

McNeil says that’s on par with hemp protein, and slightly below pea or soy – which are typically processed to isolate the protein.

While there are other companies in Canada and the US that offer mycelium protein, McNeil says few of those businesses grow it on a large scale, creating slime that is then turned into a powder. McNeil, who started a company called Micaro to develop and eventually sell her final product, says she wants to keep her product “as close to food as possible” with less processing.

McNeil expects continued production of Micaro’s product, which will also give it an edge in the market.

Not only will it use agricultural food waste that would otherwise be disposed of, the product also requires less energy than some other protein sources.

Unlike meat, soy or pea protein, which can be land- and water-intensive, Micaro’s product will be made indoors using vertical farming techniques, which involve stacking trays in a controlled environment.

However, while most vertical farming operations require light and therefore consume a lot of energy, mushrooms and mycelium grow in the dark, eliminating a significant energy demand.

McNeil hopes to use sustainable sources of energy to power its future operations.

neutral taste

McNeil says protein is a “hot topic” right now, and not just among people hoping to hit the gym. She says women who want to increase their protein intake are the largest growing segment of consumers, and they want a product that’s right for them.

“It’s not so much, you know, what’s the highest percentage and what’s going to get me the most amount. It’s, you know, what will feel good for me? Does it have fiber? Will it feel good in my stomach? Will it help me in the long run?”

McNeil says some consumers may not like existing protein alternatives on the market, such as whey, soy or pea, because of the taste or their effects on their bodies.

“So food manufacturers need to offer protein in their products … that aren’t those kinds of legacy alternatives and can bring something that doesn’t have those negative characteristics associated with it.”

McNeil and Walker say the taste of the mycelium they are producing is slightly nutty but very neutral.

Commercial production on the horizon

Over the next few months, McNeil and Walker will focus on increasing produce, and McNeil hopes to partner with a food lab in Acadia to test consumer opinions about the product.

McNeil says his goal is to establish a small commercial production facility in the valley by the end of 2026 to refine the commercial process before expanding into a well-staffed operation.

“The mycelium has a mind of its own. It’s a little tricky. So we need people who maintain the growth chambers. There’s a big food safety component here. There’s a lot of quality assurance that’s going to be involved.”

So far, most of the funding for the research has come from Invest Nova Scotia, but McNeil says he hopes his company will be in a position to seek other investments in the spring.

“Two years ago, three years ago, this was all a dream. So, you know, it’s very exciting to see it come true and move forward.”

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