MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Neurospora intermedia from a Traditional Fermented Food Enables Waste-to-Food Conversion

Summary

This research examines how a fungus used in traditional Indonesian food production could help address global food waste challenges. The study found that Neurospora intermedia, which has been used for centuries to make a food called oncom, can effectively convert various food industry waste products into nutritious and tasty foods. This discovery has important implications for sustainable food production and waste reduction. Key impacts on everyday life: • Provides a way to turn food industry waste into nutritious food products • Offers a sustainable solution for reducing food waste and greenhouse gas emissions • Creates new opportunities for developing healthy, sustainable food products • Demonstrates how traditional food practices can help solve modern sustainability challenges • Shows potential for improving food security through better use of agricultural by-products

Background

Fungal fermentation of food and agricultural by-products holds promise for improving food sustainability and security, but the molecular basis of fungal waste-to-food upcycling remains poorly understood. Minimizing food waste is important for improving the resiliency and sustainability of the food system, as approximately one-third of food is wasted in industrialized countries and food waste accounts for about half of total greenhouse gas emissions from the global food system.

Objective

To characterize oncom, a fermented food traditionally produced from soymilk by-products in Java, Indonesia, using a multi-omics approach to understand the molecular mechanisms of fungal waste-to-food conversion and identify strains, enzymes and processes that could enable by-product upcycling.

Results

Metagenomic analysis revealed that N. intermedia dominates oncom fermentation. The fungus was found to utilize pectin and cellulose degradation during fermentation and belongs to a genetically distinct subpopulation associated with human-generated by-products. N. intermedia successfully grew on diverse by-products including fruit and vegetable pomace and plant-based milk waste. The fungus did not encode mycotoxins and created foods that were positively perceived by consumers outside Indonesia.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that N. intermedia has unique capabilities for converting food waste into nutritious and palatable foods through fermentation. The fungus appears to have been uniquely domesticated for waste-to-food conversion, making it particularly suitable for addressing challenges in sustainable food production. The findings could guide the creation of delicious and nutritious foods from diverse by-products while highlighting the importance of preserving traditional food practices.
  • Published in:Nature Microbiology,
  • Study Type:Multi-omics Research Study,
  • Source: 10.1038/s41564-024-01799-3
Scroll to Top