Food product comprising a co-culture of bacteria and fungi

Abstract

Provided herein is a composition comprising a solid product of a co-culture of bacteria and fungi, comprising at least 5% protein by dry weight and at least 5% fiber by dry weight. Further provided is a food article formed from a pellicle comprising a solid product of a co-culture of bacteria and fungi, which comprises at least 5% fungal protein by dry weight and at least 5% fiber by dry weight, and which is formed into a shape by cutting or molding. Further provided is a method of making such products by co-culturing bacteria and fungi to form a pellicle, and harvesting and shaping the pellicle. Further provided is a system that optimizes growth and production of a co-culture of bacteria and fungi (co-culture of microorganism) that includes a housing unit that includes stacked trays.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composition comprising a solid product of a co-culture of bacteria and fungi, comprising at least 5% protein by dry weight and at least 5% fiber by dry weight. 
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the food product comprises a scaffold comprising cellulose. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , comprising killed bacteria and fungi and/or live bacteria and fungi. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is high protein and high fiber. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , comprising at least any of 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45% or 50% fungal protein by dry weight. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein a majority of the protein is a mycoprotein. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the protein has a digestibility amino acid score (PDCAAS) equal to at least any of 0.8, 0.85, 0.9, 0.95 or 1.0. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises at least any of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45% or 50% bacterial fiber by dry weight. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 8 , wherein the bacterial fiber comprises bacterial cellulose. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber comprises chitin. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least 15% of the fiber comprises fungal fiber. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the fungi proliferate in an acidic pH environment and have a low flocculation rate. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the fungi comprise yeast that are not strong fermenters. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the fungi comprise filamentous fungi. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the fungi are selected from  Aspergillus  (e.g.,  Aspergillus oryzae ),  Fusarium  (e.g.,  Fusarium venenatum ), tea fungus (e.g.,  Medusomyces gisevii  Lindau),  Geotrichum  (e.g.,  Geotrichum candidum ),  Penicillium  (e.g.,  Penicillium camemberti  or  Penicillium roqueforti ),  Neurospora  (e.g.,  Neurospora crassa ),  Paecilomyces  (e.g.,  Paecilomyces variotii ) and  Rhizopus  ((e.g.,  Rhizopus oligosporus ). 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the fungus is selected from  Candida  (e.g.,  Candida utilis ),  Rhodotorula  (e.g.,  Rhodotorula mucilaginosa ),  Cyberlindnera  (e.g.  Cyberlindnera jadinii ), and  Pichia  (e.g.,  Pichia pastoris ). 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the fungi comprise filamentous fungi. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the bacterium is selected from a genus selected from  Gluconacetobacter, Acetobacter, Komagataeibacter  and  Gluconobacter.    
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 1 , comprising whole bacterial cells and/or whole fungal cells. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 1 , comprising a bacterium selected from  Gluconacetobacter  and  Komagataeibacter , and a fungus selected from  Candida  and  Aspergillus.    
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 1 , comprising  Gluconacetobacter  and  Aspergillus.    
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 1 , comprising a pair of a bacterium and a fungus selected from Table 1. 
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 1 , formed into a shape by cutting or molding. 
     
     
         24 . A food composition or food article comprising fungal cells embedded in a scaffold comprising cellulose (e.g., bacterial cellulose), and comprising a protein content of at least 5% by dry weight and a fiber content of at least 5% by dry weight. 
     
     
         25 . The food composition or food article of  claim 24 , further comprising bacterial cells embedded in the scaffold. 
     
     
         26 . A food article formed from a pellicle formed as a product of a co-culture of bacteria and fungi, which comprises at least 5% fungal protein by dry weight and at least 5% fiber by dry weight, and which is formed into a shape by cutting or molding. 
     
     
         27 . The article of  claim 26 , comprising a scaffold comprising cellulose, wherein bacteria and fungi are embedded in the scaffold. 
     
     
         28 . The article of  claim 26 , comprising killed bacteria and fungi and/or living bacteria and fungi. 
     
     
         29 . The article of  claim 26 , formed in the shape of a strip, a ring, a disk, a log, a crescent, a fan, a rectangle, a triangle, a medallion, or a slab. 
     
     
         30 . The article of  claim 26 , formed in the shape of a seafood product. 
     
     
         31 . The article of  claim 30 , wherein the seafood is selected from a cephalopod, crustacean or a bony fish (e.g., shrimp, sushi, sashimi, crab, lobster, squid/calamari). 
     
     
         32 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the product is in the shape of a patty (e.g., burger) or nugget (e.g., chicken nugget). 
     
     
         33 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the product is configured as a piece having a rectangular shape and a surface area of at least 150 cm 2 . 
     
     
         34 . The article of  claim 26 , having a volume no greater than any of 1000 cm 3 , 729 cm 3 , 512 cm 3 , 343 cm 3 , 216 cm 3 , 125 cm 3 , 64 cm 3 , 27 cm 3 , 8 cm 3 , or 1 cm 3 . 
     
     
         35 . The article of  claim 34 , having a volume at least 1 cm 3 . 
     
     
         36 . The article of  claim 26 , wherein the product has a cutting force less than about 3 kilogram-force, a density of about 0.2 to about 1.5 grams per cm 3 , and a water content of about 50% to about 75% by weight. 
     
     
         37 . The article of  claim 26 , comprising at least 14% fungal protein and at least 14% bacterial cellulose by dry weight. 
     
     
         38 . A method of making a food product comprising a co-culture of bacteria and fungi, comprising:
 (a) combining, in a fermentation vessel, a starter culture and a culture medium, to produce a culture, wherein:
 (i) the starter culture comprises one or more fungi and one or more cellulose-producing bacteria; and 
 (ii) the culture medium comprises water, a carbon source, a nitrogen source, and nutrients; and 
 (iii) the fermentation vessel has a volume-to-surface area ratio of at least 3:1; and 
   (b) incubating the culture for a time sufficient to produce a pellicle, wherein the pellicle comprises at least 5% fungal protein by dry weight and at least 5% fiber by dry weight.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising:
 (c) harvesting the pellicle.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38  or  39 , further comprising killing bacteria or fungi in the pellicle, e.g., by boiling, pasteurizing or irradiating. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the product is high protein and high fiber. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the bacteria do not comprise lactic acid bacteria or an agricultural substrate. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the fungi are present, in the starter culture, at an amount at least 3% of wet weight. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the bacteria are present in the starter culture at an amount at least any of 1%, at least 2%, at least 5%, at least 10% of wet weight. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the culture medium comprises one or more of glucose, fructose, peptone (animal or plant based), yeast extract, disodium phosphate, magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, and potassium hydrogen phosphate. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the carbon source comprises one or more of: glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, galactose, trehalose, allulose, maltotriose, honey and molasses. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the carbon source comprises a non-sugar carbon source. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the carbon source comprises one or more of: ethanol, methanol, sorbitol, mannitol, xanthan, agar, alginate, and konjac glucomannan. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the nitrogen source is present in an amount of at least 5 gms per liter, at least 7.5 grams per liter, at least 10 grams per liter or at least 15 grams per liter. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the nitrogen source is an organic nitrogen source, and the organic nitrogen source is present in an amount of at least 5 grams per liter. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the organic nitrogen source is present in the culture medium in an amount of at least 0.5% by weight. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the organic nitrogen source comprises amino acids, polypeptides, nucleotides or nucleic acids. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the organic nitrogen source comprises a yeast extract, a peptone, or an agricultural product comprising amino acids (e.g., a hydrolyzed corn protein, a hydrolyzed soy protein, a hydrolyzed pea protein, and a corn steep liquor). 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the nitrogen source is an inorganic nitrogen source, e.g., a nitrate salt, an ammonia salt, a urea compound, nitrogen gas, and ammonium hydroxide. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the fermentation culture comprises yeast, bacteria, nutrients, probiotics, microbes, a vinegar by-product of an aerobic digestion of sugar and nitrogen, and/or a prebiotic. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the fermentation culture has a volume of at least any of 100 ml, 250 ml, 500 ml, 1 liter, 2 liters, 5 liters or 10 liters. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the fermentation vessel comprises a tray having a surface area of at least 400 cm 2  and a depth of at least 2 cm 2 . 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the fermentation vessel comprises a tray having a surface area of at least 400 cm 2  and a depth of at least 2 cm, e.g., having a surface area of at least 600 cm 2  and a depth of at least 3 cm. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein fermenting comprises aerating the fermentation culture. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein aeration is performed by providing air with an air pump. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 38 , comprising fermenting in an open fermentation vessel. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the tray is covered with a porous material, e.g., cheese cloth. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the tray is covered to reduce but not eliminate evaporation, and to allow oxygen to flow to the fermentation culture. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 38 , comprising fermenting for 5 days to 25 days. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein fermenting comprises maintaining temperature between about 40° F. to about 122° F., e.g., between about 50° F. to about 90° F., between about 60° F. to about 80° F., between about 65° F. to about 75° F., or about 68° F. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the fermentation culture is started at pH around 4.5. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the fermentation culture is maintained between about pH 4.0 and about pH 5.0, e.g., about pH 4.5. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein fermenting comprises maintaining humidity between 20% and 90% RH, e.g., between 40% and 60% RH or about 50% RH. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 38 , comprising covering the fermentation vessel with a cover comprising one or a plurality of apertures having one or a plurality of shapes, wherein the pellicle forms in the apertures and takes the shape of the apertures. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein a plurality of fermentation vessels are stacked on top of each other. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein harvesting the pellicle comprises removing the pellicle from the fermentation vessel and washing the pellicle. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 71 , further comprising subjecting the pellicle to boiling, pasteurization, high pressure or irradiation. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the product has a cutting force that is less than kilogram-force. 
     
     
         74 . A method of making a food product comprising:
 (a) providing a pellicle which is the product of a co-culture of bacteria and fungi; and   (b) shaping the pellicle into a plurality of pieces.   
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 74 , further comprising:
 (c) cutting the product into a plurality of pieces, wherein the pieces have shapes selected from strip, a ring, a disk, a log, a crescent, a fan, a rectangle, a triangle, a medallion, or a slab.   
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 74 , further comprising:
 (c) cutting the product into a plurality of pieces, wherein the pieces have shapes selected from shrimp, sushi, sashimi, crab, lobster, squid/calamari, patties, or nuggets.   
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 74 , wherein the pellicle has a thickness of at least about any of 1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, or 10 cm. 
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 74 , wherein the pellicle comprises at least 5% protein and at least 5% fiber by dry weight. 
     
     
         79 . A system comprising:
 a) an incubator comprising an incubator space;   b) a temperature regulator configured to control temperature in the incubator space;   c) a humidifier configured to control humidity within the incubator space;   d) inside the incubator space, at least one tray having a culture wherein the culture has a volume-to-surface area ratio of at least 3:1 wherein the culture comprises a co-culture of bacteria and fungi.   
     
     
         80 . The system of  claim 79 , further comprising an air source that delivers air to the culture. 
     
     
         81 . A system to optimize a growth and a production of a co-culture that forms a product comprising a high-protein, high-fiber material, the system comprising: a housing unit comprising stacked trays housing a seed liquid inoculated with a starter culture. 
     
     
         82 . The system of  claim 81 , wherein the seed liquid is a prepared broth comprising a feedstock. 
     
     
         83 . The system of  claim 81 , wherein the feedstock comprises sugars and nutrients. 
     
     
         84 . The system of  claim 83 , wherein the sugars are selected from the group consisting of: glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, galactose, maltose, trehalose, allulose, and maltotriose. 
     
     
         85 . The system of  claim 83 , wherein the nutrients are selected from the group consisting of honey and molasses. 
     
     
         86 . The system of  claim 81 , wherein the feedstock comprises infused  Camellia sinensis , infused  Ilex guayusa , infused  Coffea arabica , or infused  Coffea robusta.    
     
     
         87 . The system of  claim 81 , wherein each of the stacked trays are loosely covered to reduce an evaporation rate and to allow oxygen to flow to the seed liquid and the fungus. 
     
     
         88 . The system of  claim 81 , wherein a gap exists between each tray of the stacked trays to allow for heat and humidity transfer between the stacked trays. 
     
     
         89 . The system of  claim 81 , wherein the fungus comprises a tea fungus. 
     
     
         90 . The system of  claim 89 , wherein the tea fungus comprises  Medusomyces gisevii  Lindau. 
     
     
         91 . The system of  claim 81 , wherein the fungus is used in a food application. 
     
     
         92 . The system of  claim 91 ,
 wherein the fungus is used in the food application, and   wherein the food application comprises a food source or a protein source.   
     
     
         93 . The system of  claim 92 , wherein the food application is selected from the group consisting of: an alternative protein, a plant-based meat product, a plant-based seafood product, a plant-based poultry product, a dairy analogue product, a beverage product, a breakfast cereal product, a grain product, a baking mix, a soup mix, a fat, and an oil. 
     
     
         94 . The system of  claim 81 , wherein the stacked trays are stacked vertically to allow for a maintenance of temperature and humidity. 
     
     
         95 . The system of  claim 94 , wherein the temperature is maintained between approximately 40° F. to approximately 122° F. 
     
     
         96 . The system of  claim 94 , wherein the humidity is maintained between 20-90% RH. 
     
     
         97 . The system of  claim 96 , wherein the humidity is maintained at 90% RH. 
     
     
         98 . The system of  claim 81 , wherein the fermentation culture comprises fungi, bacteria, nutrients, probiotics, microbes, a vinegar by-product of an aerobic digestion of glucose and nitrogen, and/or prebiotics.