As the world’s food supply faces increasing threats from political and climate instabilities, a secure supply of proteins as feed for animal production is no different. NoMy is leading the charge to address critical supply chain resilience for the animal feed industry with sustainable, mycelium-based protein alternatives. By tapping into the incredible potential of fungi, the company is offering an environmentally friendly solution to traditional feed ingredients that meet the industry’s requirements for competitive price, nutritional performance and volume.
Chief Financial Officer
NoMy
HARNESSING NATURE’S POWER: THE SCIENCE BEHIND MYCELIUM
Mycelium, the intricate root-like network of fungi, is being recognized for its vast potential across multiple industries, including animal nutrition. NoMy’s approach has three distinct advantages as a source for cost-competitive, high quality and large-scale supply of proteins for the future.
First, mycelium is the body form of many fungi such as molds and mushroom strains involved in breaking down organic matter and converting it into essential nutrients. NoMy leverages the natural ability of its fungal strains as recyclers and upcyclers of nutrients to develop sustainable feed solutions that help reduce the burden on traditional protein resources. By combining fermentation technologies, advanced sensors, and AI/ML, NoMy transforms food residues and sidestreams (before they become waste) into a growth medium used to cultivate high-protein fungal strains as a biomass into nutritious feed ingredients. This is a tried-and-true technology used and scaled in other areas of food production, called biomass fermentation. NoMy’s innovative approach enables feed producers to supplement conventional vegetable and marine proteins, which can be associated with land use change or unsustainable fishery practices. By focusing on raw materials that are underutilized today instead of commodity inputs, the company aims to offer a greener alternative (as the raw materials inputs are essentially “waste”) meanwhile delivering a consistent product at scale without compromising on nutritional quality. Further, mycelium’s rapid growth cycle allows for more efficient production compared to traditional feed crops, ensuring that NoMy can quickly scale up to meet the demands of its partners in the animal nutrition sector.
SUSTAINABLE FEED SOLUTIONS FOR A GREENER FUTURE
The second advantage lies in NoMy’s fermentation technology’s ability to deliver ingredients at a lower carbon footprint compared to peers. The environmental impact of the animal feed industry is significant, with the industry’s carbon emissions coming under greater and greater scrutiny from consumers and regulators. As an example, nearly 80% of the carbon footprint from Norwegian salmon production comes from feed ingredients alone. NoMy provides an alternative by producing its feed ingredients with significantly lower environmental impact.
The production of mycelium-based feed requires fewer natural resources, such as land and water, compared to conventional commodity crops. Additionally, the controlled, local production of mycelium ensures a stable supply chain, reducing the dependence on imported feed components. This innovative approach helps mitigate the risks associated with fluctuating crop yields, climate change, seasonality and trade disruptions, providing a reliable, sustainable solution to feed manufacturers that improves the resiliency of feed producers’ supply chains.
ENHANCING ANIMAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Lastly, NoMy’s products are not just sustainable—they are also highly nutritious. Mycelium-based feed ingredients are rich in proteins, fibers, and bioactive compounds, which have shown to support gut health, enhance immune system function, and promote the overall well-being of animal health.
One key benefit of mycelium is its ability to enhance the digestibility and bioavailability of feed. Studies have shown that mycoproteins have a higher digestibility score than incumbent proteins, particularly soy. Functional impacts from B-glucans in fungal cell wall biomass in the mycoproteins may also enable an immunostimulatory response, leading to healthier animals and better productivity. NoMy continues to explore the health-promoting properties of mycelium and is committed to ongoing research that aims to enhance the nutritional profile of their products.
FUTURE PROSPECTS: EXPANDING MYCELIUM’S POTENTIAL
Looking ahead, NoMy is poised to expand the applications of mycelium far beyond feed ingredients. As the global industry increasingly shifts toward sustainable supply chains favoring environmentally friendly raw materials, the versatility of NoMy’s technology platform offers a multitude of opportunities for growth and innovation.
The company’s long-term vision includes collaborating with global feed manufacturers to integrate mycelium-based ingredients into a wider array of feed formulations. By partnering with forward-thinking companies and research institutions, NoMy aims to push the boundaries of what mycelium can achieve in both animal and human nutrition.
Furthermore, the development of sustainable feedstocks from food industry residues opens the door to new business opportunities for cost effective biomanufacturing in industries such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and materials science. NoMy’s holistic approach to sustainability and innovation positions them as a leader in the ongoing transformation towards a bio-based, circular economy.
NoMy’s innovations in fungal technologies represent just the beginning of what can be possible for a whole new world of sustainable solutions. However, it will not be possible without sustained investment by private and public stakeholders towards the emergence of a new bio-based green industry for food, feed and beyond. And it cannot be built overnight. The time is now to invest in the industrial development of tried-and-true technologies, like biomass fermentation, that can deliver a brighter and greener future for tomorrow.
