Protein Production Technology Podcast · FPG Media

Special Episode: Muyiwa Akintoye - Planetary

·26 min·1 clip

Natural mycoprotein sits at 11 to 13 percent protein wet, or 40 to 50 percent dried.

1. Protein Production Technology Podcast focuses on Mu'iwa Akintoye and Planetary's work on mycoprotein-based foods. 2. Dr. Mu'iwa Akintoye is Planetary's Chief Product Officer, and he is responsible for product, raw mycoprotein, and food development. 3. The episode asks how mycoprotein can be made to deliver taste, texture, and consumer acceptance, not just sustainability. 4. Akintoye says Planetary is a B2B player that makes raw mycoprotein for other companies to turn into food. 5. He distinguishes raw mycoprotein from mycoprotein-based food and says the raw ingredient itself is not food. 6. He explains that flavour and texture depend on both the raw materials and the processing steps used after fermentation. 7. Akintoye says mycoprotein grows by consuming carbohydrates and produces biomass as the organism itself. 8. He says the feed must include carbohydrate, nitrogen, minerals, and vitamins so the fungus can grow without picking up off-flavours. 9. He says judicious ingredient selection helps produce relatively bland mycoprotein for consumer-facing products. 10. Akintoye says mycoprotein has a naturally savoury taste that works well in sausages, burgers, and chicken-style products. 11. He says yeast extracts, onion powder, garlic powder, and other seasonings can enhance the savoury character without going too far. 12. He says Planetary's BioBlocks technology profiles the fermentation system, including media selection and its components. 13. He says Planetary currently uses fusarium venenatum, while other strains are being developed with different physical and chemical characteristics. 14. He says media formulation can change flavour and texture into longer hyphae, different colours, a pasty form, or shorter texture. 15. He says masking agents can be used, but he prefers built-in flavour systems and bland raw mycoprotein that does not need them. 16. He says dairy-style uses such as cheese, milk, and yoghurt need downstream physical processes to reduce savoury notes to near imperceptible levels. 17. Akintoye describes fibrous mycoprotein as looking like jumbled spaghetti under the microscope and says alignment creates meat-like bundles. 18. He says the fastest growth usually gives shorter fibres, so recipe formulation, binders, starches, and downstream technology are needed to build texture. 19. The interview is technical and practical, with clear answers, kitchen analogies, and frequent references to industrial processing. 20. People working on alternative proteins, fermentation, and texture design would get the most from this episode, while listeners wanting a light non-technical chat may skip it.

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