Better Meat Co. Announces Mycoprotein Fermentation Facility

‍The Better Meat Co. Announces Completion of Fermentation Plant to Produce Mycoprotein Superfood

New sustainable protein ingredient is minimally processed, can be used in ground and whole cut meat applications, and is cheaper than beef

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For immediate release: June 8, 2021
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The Better Meat Co., a Sacramento-based sustainable food tech start-up founded in 2018, today announced that its fermentation plant that will produce Rhiza, the company’s new mycoprotein superfood ingredient, is now live.

The facility, located in West Sacramento, will initially employ 16 people and produce thousands of pounds of finished product per month. While the plant’s primary purpose is to serve as an R&D corporate headquarters, the business-to-business ingredients company will offer Rhiza to select food companies who will use it as an ingredient in both plant-based and animal-based meat products. 

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"We're excited about The Better Meat Co.'s innovative Rhiza mycoprotein ingredient," said Johnsonville Sausage vice president Kevin Ladwig. "Its high-protein, high-fiber nature makes it an attractive option both for meat enhancement and plant-based products, too."

Using novel indoor farming methods, The Better Meat Co.’s growing season is 365 days a year, and Rhiza fermentations can be harvested within just hours. Rhiza is a whole food fermented ingredient that has a neutral flavor and meatier texture than the extruded plant protein isolates typically used to make plant-based meats today. Its versatility as a ground meat replacer or whole muscle cut meat replacer is unmatched.

“If we’re serious about lessening humanity’s footprint on the planet, we need to get serious about our food-print, and that means reducing our reliance on animals for food,” said Better Meat Co. CEO Paul Shapiro. “Rhiza offers a cost-effective opportunity for food companies seeking to improve sustainability while giving their customers that meaty experience they crave.”

On its own, Rhiza boasts:

• More protein than eggs
• More iron than beef
• More fiber than oats
• Complete amino acid profile (ie, a complete protein)
• Common allergen-free
• Non-GMO
• Clean label
• Zero cholesterol
• Low fat
• Neutral flavor
• Minimally processed compared to other plant-based meats
• And cheaper than beef!
  

Monica Talbert, CEO of The Plant-Based Seafood Co., states, “We’ve been very impressed with the quality and versatility of Rhiza, and are excited to incorporate it into our plant based crab cakes, as well as other innovative plant based seafood products coming out later this year.”