Mycoprotein: can we reshape our diets to be absolutely sustainable?

The global food production system is accountable for a significant share of anthropogenic impacts. A growing population coupled with an increase in meat consumption will drive a surge in demand for meat products, which are responsible for the majority of food-related impacts. Alternative proteins with improved environmental impact can contribute to making diets more sustainable. This study provides a comparative cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of conventional meat and a novel mycoprotein prototype obtained from Yarrowia Lipolytica. The cradle-to-gate inventory of the product was retrieved from lab-scale experiments and process simulation results. The inventories for the largest consumed land-based meat, beef, pork and chicken, were retrieved from the literature. The results show that mycoprotein has an improved environmental profile compared to beef in all the impact categories, with the egg white binder being the major hotspot. Replacing the binder with potato starch resulted in a significant decrease in all impact categories, and showed the potential to reach lower impacts than pork and chicken. The relative LCA was then transformed into a planetary impact assessment in absolute terms. We evaluated the transgression level of current diets in the Nordic countries and formulated possible diets with improved environmental performance by introducing mycoprotein as a meat replacement. We simulated scenarios according to the current consumption pattern in the Nordic countries, and their recommended Nordic diets based on Nordic Nutrition Recommendations and finally, to the Eat-Lancet Commission recommended diet. Literature was used to evaluate the impacts of plant-, fish- and dairy-based proteins. This study showed the potential of combining process simulation and relative and absolute life cycle assessment from early stages to lead optimization strategies, thus improving the sustainability of novel food products.