@article{b81d763b246b4d52b8ece5f07e03a195,
title = "Safety evaluation of Neurospora crassa mycoprotein for use as a novel meat alternative and enhancer",
abstract = "Cultivation of filamentous fungi to produce sustainable, nutrient rich meat replacements has recently attracted significant commercial and research interest. Here, we report evidence for the safety and nutritional value of Neurospora crassa mycoprotein, a whole mycelium food ingredient produced by fermentation and minimal downstream processing. N. crassa has a long history of human use in fermented foods and in molecular biology research. A survey of studies that used N. crassa in animal feed revealed no adverse effects to the health of the animals. Furthermore, a review of the literature found no reports of confirmed allergenicity or toxicity in humans involving N. crassa. Genomic toxigenicity analysis and in vitro testing did not identify any toxins in N. crassa mycoprotein. Two independent genomic allergenicity studies did not identify proteins that would be considered a particular risk for allergenic potential. Furthermore, nutritional analysis demonstrated that N. crassa mycoprotein is a good source of complete protein and is rich in fiber, potassium, and iron. Taken together, the presented data and the history of human use without evidence of human or animal harm indicate that foods containing N. crassa can generally be regarded as safe.",
keywords = "Food safety, Meat alternative, Mycoprotein, Neurospora crassa, Sustainability",
author = "Bartholomai, {Bradley M.} and Ruwe, {Katherine M.} and Jonathan Thurston and Prachi Jha and Kevin Scaife and Ryan Simon and Mohamed Abdelmoteleb and Goodman, {Richard E.} and Moran Farhi",
note = "Funding Information: Mycotoxin analysis of N. crassa biomass, sequence comparisons of N. crassa with toxins from multiple sources, digestibility analysis, and pathogenicity phenotype predictions did not indicate meaningful toxigenic potential in N. crassa. To gain additional support for safety of consumption, the N. crassa proteome was compared to proteins from FDA GRAS designated strains using the criteria for significant sequence homology (summarized in Section 4.2.1) established by Pearson (2013) and following regulatory guidelines (E.F.S.A., 2021; Pariza et al., 2015; van der Vlugt, 2021). It was found that 306 out of the 10,813 proteins from the genome of N. crassa shared significant sequence homology with proteins from at least 1 of the 9 bacterial strains listed in Supplemental Table 2, whereas 6427 proteins shared significant sequence homology with proteins from F. venenatum. These results suggest that the majority of proteins found in the genome of N. crassa, including many of the identified proteins that share sequence homology with documented toxins, likely have a history of safe consumption based on their presence in the genome of GRAS microorganisms that are directly consumed. High homology between N. crassa proteins and proteins from safely consumed foods is an additional indication that supports the evaluation that N. crassa is unlikely to pose toxigenicity concerns. Funding Information: PATRIC is a bacterial bioinformatics database maintained through a collaborative program of the University of Chicago and University of Virginia, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Ltd",
year = "2022",
month = oct,
doi = "10.1016/j.fct.2022.113342",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "168",
journal = "Food and Chemical Toxicology",
issn = "0278-6915",
publisher = "Elsevier Limited",
}