A Sustainable Approach to Food Waste Management: Optimizing Mycoprotein Production from Immature Rice Kernels Using Neurospora crassa

The issue of food sustainability and waste management has become a pressing global concern (FAO, 2024). Agricultural by-products account for a sizable portion of this waste, highlighting the need to develop efficient methods to utilize these materials (FAO, 2013). Mycoprotein, a fungal biomass rich in protein and fibre that can be used for human and animal consumption, is a promising approach to convert agricultural waste into valuable food ingredients in a sustainable manner (Finnigan et al., 2019). In this study, the primary objective is to investigate the bioprocessing of mycoproteins using Neurospora crassa, with immature rice kernels serving as a carbohydrate source. By optimizing bioprocess conditions such as air flow, agitation, substrate pretreatment, and concentration, we aim to bridge the gap between food shortages and sustainability.

To achieve this, the immature rice kernels were milled to a fine consistency and subjected to specific enzymatic pretreatments while monitoring the release of fermentable sugars through liquefaction and saccharification (Gohel et al., 2021; Chu-ký et al., 2015). The pretreated rice substrate was evaluated for its suitability as a carbon source to support growth and mycoprotein production by N. crassa using agitated flask and stirred tank fermentation. The biomass production yield was monitored by gravimetry (Chrastina et al., 2015), and mycoprotein quality was monitored by electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) (Montowska, 2007).

In conclusion, our research underscores the importance of integrating formulated enzymatic methods for the breakdown of agricultural by-products. Preliminary studies suggest that the mycoprotein biomass yield is expected to be 0.46 g/g of sugar substrate, with a protein content of 11.25 g/100 g of mycoprotein (Gombert, 2015; Khan et al., 2023). Future research will focus on developing complex structured food products while scaling up this process.