<i>Pleurotus djamor</i> Mycelium: Sustainable Production of a Promising Protein Source from Carrot Side Streams

Innovative protein sources are urgently needed to feed a growing global population and to support the increasing shift toward vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. Mycelia of edible fungi offer a sustainable and efficient alternative food source. In this study, 106 fungal strains were explored for their ability to ferment two different liquid carrot side streams. Among the candidates, <i>Pleurotus djamor</i> demonstrated exceptional potential, with high yields of biomass of ∼15 g L^-1 and high protein contents of 31.0 ± 5.9 (optimized orange carrot medium) or 21.6 ± 1.9 g 100 g^-1 (optimized black carrot medium), respectively. When used in burger patties and vegan sausage analogs, the mycelia outperformed vegetable proteins in sensory tests, highlighting their viability as a nutritious, versatile, and consumer-accepted protein alternative.