In this project, NoMy collaborated with various by-product producers in the food sector to conduct small-scale growth feasibility studies using by-products from dairy production, and fish and plant-based feedstock processing. These studies focused on nutrient load analysis, product quality, and nutrient-to-product conversion yield. Dairy by-products were identified as nutrient-rich, suitable for NoMy’s biomass fermentation technology, and widely available, despite challenges in valorization and disposal.
Consequently, NoMy initiated a process development and scale-up journey focusing on dairy by-products, supported by empirical data and gradual installation of biomass fermentation and analytical equipment. The fermentation scale was increased from less than 1 liter to bioreactors of 3.7 liters and 42 liters capacity.
The initial process development began at a sub-1 liter scale, focusing on the impact of nutrient formulation and strain type on product quality and conversion yield. This was followed by scale-up using 3.7-liter bench-scale bioreactors, resulting in NoMy’s first Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The mycoprotein product, produced using an edible fungal strain approved by ESFA for feed and food applications, was analyzed at an ISO17025-certified laboratory.
NoMy's process development and scale-up aimed for balanced social, environmental, and economic impacts, governed by product quality, productivity, reproducibility, and BOD/COD removal. In the context of feed applications, the focus was on achieving a dried product with approximately 50% protein content. The first MVP met this goal, and its balanced amino acid profile positions it as a potential alternative to soy protein concentrate (SPC) and fish meal.
This stage of process development and scale-up generated data on by-products, processes, and product characterization. This data was obtained through the gradual installation of analytical equipment, including ovens, chromatographic methods, and elemental analysis tools. These reference data and methods will aid in calibrating and integrating our N-IR (near-infrared) spectroscopy sensors, ultimately supporting the automation and quality control analytics of NoMy’s fermentation pilot facility. NoMy has integrated expertise in sensor technology and data science, with IR spectroscopic equipment installed and being operational.
