Nosh.bio’s Koji-based invention upgrades plant-based protein.
Nosh.bio
What happened with the hype around plant-based meat?
Plant-based protein gained huge attention, particularly around 2020, for our growing health and environmental concerns plus the boost from the pandemic. However, many products in the market were not as ideal as thought to be. Some were not so environmentally friendly or healthy due to the high level of processing; their flavors and textures were not as satisfying as you wished; they were more expensive than regular animal protein. As a result, the enthusiasm for meat alternatives has calmed down, although the U.S. plant-based food industry has grown substantially from $3.9 billion in 2017 to $8.1 billion in 2024, according to The Good Food Institute.
To conquer the challenges facing plant-based protein, Nosh.bio based in Germany, has developed a solution: the adoption of Koji, the beneficial fungus used to make a majority of traditional Japanese food.
The solution is so effective that within three years of the start of the business, the company works with powerful clients like Barilla, the world-leading producer of pasta and Premium Food Group (formerly Tönnies Group), a top meat manufacturer in Germany.
Tim Fronzek, co-founder of Nosh.bio says, “Our goal is to make our food system more sustainable. Food in general is responsible for roughly 30% of all global greenhouse gas emissions and about 80% of the global deforestation. As a father of two children, the issues are quite imminent.”
Fronzek, a serial entrepreneur in the past 20 years, met his co-founder and CTO Felipe Lino in 2021. Lino is a PhD-trained biotechnologist and served as global R&D manager at the world’s largest brewing company Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), before founding Nosh.bio with Fronzek.
They discussed Lino’s idea of using fermentation to produce plant-based protein and a year later in February 2022, they incorporated Nosh.bio.
Tim Fronzek, co-founder of Nosh.bio.
Nosh.bio
Dr. Felipe Lino, Co-Founder and CTO of Nosh.bio
Nosh.bio
Minimal, Sustainable Processing
How is Koji-based protein made at Nosh.bio?
The production process is astonishingly simple. “It closely resembles making beer. In fact, our production facilities are a former beer brewery,” says Fronzek.
“We fill huge steel tanks with water, a carbon source for koji to feed on, some micronutrients and then add Koji. By simply blowing air into the liquid, the Koji starts to grow and in less than 24 hours, the tanks are filled with fermented Koji. We filter the mash and it is done.”
This minimum processing is remarkably sustainable.
“Our Koji protein production leaves only a fraction of carbon footprints, compared to beef production,” says Fronzek. “But we still need to use energy for the fermentation process. To be fully sustainable, we are using solar energy. Also, we are trying to switch the carbon source from conventional sugars to something that is a byproduct of other areas in the food industry.”
For example, the company is considering using water from potato processing facilities, which contains a large amount of potato starch. “The liquid would be sent into the drain otherwise, but we could upcycle it. In the coming few years, we may be able to become carbon neutral, or even carbon negative.”
Nosh.bio’s Koji protein is produced at a former beer brewery.
Nosh.bio
Koji Offers Naturally Meaty Texture With Rich Umami
Koji-based protein offers a naturally superior palate experience as well.
Koji’s molecular structure is very close to collagen’s. Collagen is an animal protein, which provides many of the textural properties that we detect in animal-based products in general.
“Unlike other alt-protein processes that heavily manipulate texture, we preserve the native fiber alignment of Koji mycelium to deliver authentic, meat-like textures,” says Fronzek.
In other words, Koji-based protein can eliminate any artificial additives or processing to create a meat-like mouthfeel, such as binders, gelling agents and emulsifiers.
Also, Koji innately tastes better, too. “Other plant-based proteins often taste bitter or sour, which need to be masked before being processed for consumption. Koji protein does not have either and better yet, it has natural umami. If you want to use Koji protein for sweet items, we can remove umami as well.”
Importantly, the Koji protein is highly nourishing.
“Its protein ratio is comparable to real meat. The percentage varies, depending on the moisture content of the form of the product, but the driest powder form can have up to 50% of protein with a complete amino acid profile. Also, Koji protein is high in natural fiber and low in fat,” Fronzek says.
Nosh.bio’s Koji protein in various forms.
Nosh.bio
Flexible Applications Of Koji Protein
Nosh.bio’s Koji protein comes in fresh, dry and powder forms for various applications.
For instance, it can be used as a single ingredient for ground meat analogues like burgers and gyros; it can replace chemical additives, such as binders or gelling agents.
Also, Koji protein can be blended with actual meat products like ground beef. “The Koji protein-blended meat is significantly healthier. Koji protein has no fat or cholesterol and adds some heart-healthy beta-glucans to the product, which meat doesn’t have,” Fronzek says.
The company conducted several blind tastings with consumers and they were unable to identify which minced beef was 100% beef versus only 70% beef with 30% Koji protein.
“Imagine we only consumed the Koji protein-blended beef products, our carbon footprints would be dramatically reduced. Also, you can save so much money, because beef is way more expensive than Koji protein.”
Another intriguing example is ice cream made with Koji protein. Since the binding capability of the Koji protein is much higher than artificial products, the ice cream can hold its physical structure considerably longer, as much as 50% at room temperature.
As a result, the storage temperatures throughout the whole supply chain could stay higher, which would lead to significantly lower carbon emissions.
Nosh.bio’s Koji protein can be used for diverse applications.
Nosh.bio
The Key To Rapid Business Growth
What makes Nosh.bio’s rapid business growth possible?
First, the minimal processing has enabled lower production costs and the resulting price competitiveness.
Fronzek says, “We have been able to manufacture our products cheaper than actual beef already and are expecting to achieve price-parity with chicken and pork in the coming 12-18 months.”
Nosh.bio’s production model is built for speed and efficiency. By retrofitting existing food-grade infrastructure like beer brewery tanks, the company can scale up six times faster than ground-up development while reducing capital expenditures by over 80%, according to the company.
The minimal production process of Koji protein does not require transforming the biomass into a muscle-like structure through extrusion, intense mechanical shearing, or chemical modification, which significantly saves operational costs.
Skipping the legal work was another key to the fast growth.
“Here in Europe, we have a very strict legal framework to govern new food products. Bringing in a novel ingredient takes a lengthy, complicated process. However, since Koji has been used in Japanese cuisine for centuries, it has already been approved under the EU regulations. We became a rare case to be allowed to skip the process and saved a lot of time and money,” says Fronzek.
The company is planning to expand its operations further.
“At the moment, we are Germany-based, but want to grow Nosh.bio as a global company. We believe that we have developed something that can be beneficial for anyone in the world for generations to come.”
Nosh.bio’s team at the Koji protein factory.
Nosh.bio
AloJapan.com