Never eat a wild mushroom identified only from a website, a book or an app. Have every find checked in person by an expert, such as a mycological society.
Identification
Fusarium venenatum is a filamentous ascomycete in the order Hypocreales. In culture it forms fine, septate, branching hyphae and, like other Fusarium species, can produce curved, multi-celled macroconidia. Species in the genus are hard to separate by appearance, and identification relies on DNA sequences. The strain used for mycoprotein was isolated from soil in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and was first identified as Fusarium graminearum; molecular studies later showed it belongs to the separate species F. venenatum.
Habitat and ecology
In nature, F. venenatum is a soil fungus related to the cereal pathogens of the Fusarium graminearum group. Most of what is known about it comes from the industrial production strain and its derivatives. The fungus grows well on simple sugars with an inorganic nitrogen source, which makes it suitable for continuous fermentation. Fusarium as a genus includes many plant pathogens, endophytes and soil saprotrophs.
Uses and importance
Mycoprotein was developed in the United Kingdom from the 1960s onwards in a search for new protein sources, and the first mycoprotein food was launched in 1985. Today the biomass is sold in burgers, mince, pieces, sausages and other products. Mycoprotein is high in protein and dietary fibre and low in fat. The hyphae are similar in size to animal muscle fibres, so the texture can be made fibrous and meat-like. In traditional products, the biomass is mixed with a binder such as egg white; vegan versions use plant-based binders.
Mycoprotein is also a reference point for the growing field of fungal biomass fermentation, in which other filamentous fungi are grown for food.
Cultivation
Industrial production takes place in large, continuous fermenters. A sterile medium containing glucose, ammonia as a nitrogen source, minerals and vitamins is fed in, while air keeps the culture mixed and supplied with oxygen; temperature and pH are tightly controlled. The broth is continuously harvested, then heat-treated to reduce the fungus’s naturally high RNA content, and dewatered to a paste. Fusarium species can produce mycotoxins, so the strain and process are controlled and the product is monitored. This is not a process for home cultivation.
Safety and edibility
Mycoprotein has been eaten by large numbers of people since 1985 and has been considered Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration since 2002. It has been sold in the United Kingdom since before the EU’s 15 May 1997 novel food cut-off date. Allergic reactions are rare but do occur, mostly in people already allergic to moulds or other fungi; they range from abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting to severe asthma-like reactions, and many occur on the first time a person eats it. Anyone who reacts after eating mycoprotein should stop eating it and seek medical advice. The fungus in its raw form is not a food; never eat moulds grown at home.
If you suspect mushroom poisoning, call your local emergency number or poison centre straight away, even before any symptoms appear, and keep the remains of the mushrooms.
Look-alikes
F. venenatum belongs to a group of closely related Fusarium species, including Fusarium graminearum, a major cause of head blight in wheat and barley and producer of mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol. These species can only be distinguished reliably with DNA methods, which is why industrial strains are tightly authenticated.
Around the world
Worldwide, mycoprotein products are sold in many countries in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Regulatory status differs by country, and new fungal biomass ingredients from other species usually require pre-market approval.