As more folks look to consume more sustainably, innovators and other startups have discovered that mushrooms are pretty versatile. Mushroom-based packaging substrates, for example, can be grown and harvested sustainably, are biodegradable, compostable, and a durable replacement for expanded polystyrene. But plastic pollution isnât the only existential crisis putting mushrooms to work. Some firms, like Meati Foods, are turning mushrooms into a more climate-friendly alternative to meat, even steak.
Meati Foods, founded in 2017, now runs a âranchâ in Colorado where it grows fungus from spores in highly controlled and fine-tuned conditions in a clean room environment, eliminating the need for pesticides, antibiotics, or growth hormones. Meatiâs mushroom-based steaks and cutlets have also won over restauranteurs and chefs David Chang and Tom Colicchio, the latter of whom is an investor and advisor.
