Cargill and mycoprotein producer Enough announce expanded partnership

chicken kebab. Image courtesy of Cargill.

Cargill (Minneapolis, MN) and Enough, a producer of sustainable fermented protein, have announced an expanded partnership for further innovation of nutritious and sustainable alternative meat and dairy solutions. To this end, Cargill is investing in Enough’s most recent series C funding campaign, and has signed a commercial agreement to use and market the company’s fermented protein.

According to a press release, Enough’s signature Abunda mycoprotein is grown by feeding fungi with sugars from sustainably sourced grain that is fermented in a natural production process similar to making beer, wine, or yogurt. The result is a complete food ingredient that contains essential amino acids and is rich in dietary fiber.

“Cargill is strengthening its partnership with Enough because the world needs more protein that is grown more sustainably to keep pace with global population growth. Mycoprotein is an emerging ingredient with a disruptive role to play due to its many benefits including a meat-like texture, protein profile, scalability, and sustainability,” explains Belgin Kose, managing director, Cargill Meat and Dairy Alternatives, in a press release.“We remain committed to bringing alternative and traditional protein source options to the table, and our collaboration with ENOUGH is one of the ways we can realize our purpose to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way.”

The two companies already have a multi-faceted partnership in which Enough’s 160,000 square-foot production facility is co-located alongside Cargill’s facility in Sas van Gent, The Netherlands, and Cargill provides Enough with glucose syrup and utilities. Cargill is also partnered with Enough in the EU-funded Plenitude consortium project whose goal, according to the project’s website, is to pioneer “the mycoprotein value chain of the future.”

As part of their expanded partnership, Cargill will collaborate with customers to co-create protein alternative foods containing Abunda mycoprotein, leveraging its broad portfolio of plant-based proteins, texturizers, fats, as well as formulations and applications capabilities.

“Expanding our partnership with Cargill is an exciting step to accelerate the great strides we’ve already made through the co-location of our Sas van Gent facility,” adds Jim Laird, CEO, of Enough. “The alternative protein market is a multi-billion-dollar opportunity, and efficiency will come from collaboration with partners such as Cargill to leverage existing demand and supply chain to gain scale.”