There are currently many vegetable waste streams that are still fed to animals or that return to the human food chain with a low value. Through fermentation, among other things, these streams can be enriched with important nutrients such as vitamins.

In the Food from Food project, Botanic Bites looked for a way to convert these residual flows into valuable, easily digestible foodstuffs. First, research was carried out into the available residual flows, which arise after pressing various vegetables, seeds and kernels:

• the cake that remains after pressing linseed oil
• hemp seed
• oats
• wheat protein

Subsequently, a large number of tests were performed to match these streams with a suitable fungus for fermentation. Here, the tempeh fungus has been examined in particular. However, the results were not sufficient, the taste was not good and the bite was too soft. We then matched the above-mentioned residual flows with the fungus of the oyster mushroom and this resulted in good results.

Botanic Bites has developed a product called ‘Fumpeh’, which has the taste of mushroom, the desired firmness and extra nutrients that the residual flows bring such as proteins plus the good digestibility that is achieved through fermentation. In 2021, Botanic Bites expects to enter the market with Fumpeh.