US food-tech business The Better Meat Co. has received a $1.5m federal grant to increase production of its trademark mycoprotein.

The US Department of Defense awarded the grant to the B2B ingredients company as part of its Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program to produce a sustainable protein source that is free of common allergens.

California-based Better Meat Co. said the funding will be used to produce “large volumes" of its rhiza mycoprotein. The company describes the ingredient as "an all-natural, shelf-stable protein source for use in a wide variety of food applications”.

“The United States will be greatly advantaged by taking a leadership role in biomanufacturing, especially when it comes to efficient, innovative methods of food production,” Better Meat Co. CEO Paul Shapiro said.

Established in 2018, The Better Meat Co. recently received a “no questions” letter from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in response to its determination that its Rhiza mycoprotein is GRAS (Generally Recognised as Safe). 

“Expanding the Department of Defense’s biotechnology capabilities is key to maintaining the United States’ supply-chain and military superiority,” Heidi Shyu, the US undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said.

In 2021, The Better Meat Co. joined forces with Hormel Foods to bring new mycoprotein- and plant-based protein products to the marketplace.

The Spam, Applegate and Planters brands owner announced an exclusive deal with the plant-based protein business via its 199 Ventures arm.

199 Ventures was formed in 2019 by Hormel to be the company’s food incubator, which included investing in companies that align with its growth strategies.

Last year, Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods entered a partnership with The Better Meat Co. to explore alternative-protein innovation.

Maple Leaf, a meat and plant-based protein major, signed the deal via its subsidiary Greenleaf Foods, which manufactures plant-based protein food brands Lightlife and Field Roast.