Scientists have discovered a way to turn carrot processing waste into a nutritious and surprisingly tasty protein.
By growing edible mushrooms in streams next to carrots, they created fungal mycelium that could replace traditional plant proteins in foods like pies and sausages. Taste tests showed that many volunteers preferred mycelium-based foods to foods made from soybeans or peas. The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, tested 106 mushroom strains and identified Pleurotus djamor (pink oyster mushroom) as the most effective for protein production. The optimized growth conditions yielded protein with low fat, high fiber and biological values similar to animal and vegetable proteins.
“This research is an important step towards a circular economy by turning valuable food streams into a high-quality protein source,” says lead author Martin Gand. The findings suggest that fungal mycelia offer a sustainable, low-waste alternative to traditional proteins that help support nutrition, food security and environmental sustainability.
Source: American Chemical Society
This article is in Journal of Wellbeing 222
