Protein from fermentation is poised to be one of the main food trends in 2022. While it's too soon to tell if the prediction will come true, here are two recent interesting rebrands in the mycoprotein space. 

Kernel Mycofoods becomes Eternal
Kernel Mycofoods, a start-up that produces protein from fermentation of Fusarium venenatum, is now called Eternal. The idea behind the name reflects the company's no small ambition to tackle today’s toughest issues supporting combining robotics, artificial intelligence and other cutting edge technologies.
“We feel that the name Eternal reflects better our commitment to future generations: innovation with sustainability at heart, to create better options for the world,” says Aito de la Rua, Chief Purpose Officer.

Eternal will keep Mycofood as the name of its food product, an ingredient with 15% protein content, which is already in the pre-sale phase. 

“By calling our product an alternative protein, we are selling ourselves short: Mycofood is much more than that - it is a complete food, with amazing health and nutritional properties,” said Dr. Martin Blasco, Eternal’s CSO.

Eternal was founded in 2019 as a spin-out of Enye Tech, a multi-awarded multidisciplinary agency led by H. Acerbo, Eternal’s CEO. It's headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with offices in Houston, London, and Spain. 
The start-up recently won the Phase-1 NASA Deep Space Food Challenge and was one of the semi-finalists of the ongoing XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion.

More on Eternal on eternal.bio.

Atlast Food Co. becomes MyForest Foods
Atlast Food Co., creator of whole-cut mycoprotein, meat analogues, announced its name change to MyForest Foods Co.

The new name is a reference to the natural habitat of mycelium, the vegetative root structure of mushrooms, which the company uses to grow and harvest complete proteins that mimic traditional meat cuts in both texture and flavour.

The idea of the forest will inspire all brand material applications moving forward: “From our name and visual identity to our company mission and values, we aim to inspire our employees and customers through this deep, literal connection to the forest,” said Sarah-Marie Cole, Chief Marketing Officer of MyForest Foods. “Our colour palette was developed from real mushroom samples. Our illustrative style nods to classic, hand-drawn field guides. Our language reflects the whimsical feeling you get when you wander through the woods. Each choice is meaningful, intentional, and woven together to share our unique and delicious story with the world."

“The forest, philosophically and physically, is where we hail from, so this felt like a natural move. ‘From the forest. For the future,’ our new company tagline, captures our essence and purpose,” said Eben Bayer, Chief Executive Officer of MyForest Foods.

The brand will continue to produce MyBacon Strips, its flagship product and the world’s first whole-cut, plant-based bacon, with additional products in the works.

This unique whole-cut approach is made possible by the use of a proprietary AirMycelium™ cultivation method, developed by MyForest Foods’ parent company, Ecovative. With this method it's possible to finetune natural environmental factors controlling mycelium’s shape and density as it grows. 

"Replicating Mother Earth’s magic, we simulate the forest inside our vertical farms -- cool rains, evening fog, morning mist, and afternoon breezes create just the right environment for our mycelium to grow, weaving into delicate, precise, and tender whole-cuts for the world to enjoy," said Bayer.

The focus in 2022 will be on scaling production with two 120,000 square feet of total infrastructure, that includes a headquarter in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and the world's largest vertical mycelium farm in New York’s Hudson River Valley Region. Both facilities are slated to open this fall. In the interim, MyForest Foods continues to build its team of food innovation experts, expanding career opportunities in the local and remote environments alike.

The company recently announced a partnership with Whitecrest Mushrooms Ltd. which plans to produce nearly three million pounds of MyBacon mycelium each year on less than one acre of land.

To learn more, visit myforestfoods.com