Dive Brief:
- The Better Meat Co is changing its name to BMC Ingredients as the company shifts focus from alternative meat production to supplying plant-based protein for other food companies.
- BMC Ingredients will offer its signature mycelium-based protein powders Rhiza Tex and Rhiza Pro, which can be used in animal-and plant-based meats as well as smoothies, baked goods, pasta, protein bars and more.
- The company is positioning its ingredients as a cheaper and naturally nutrient-dense alternative to protein isolates such as whey, which have become more expensive due to supply constraints.
Dive Insight:
As the alternative meat category languishes, producers are pivoting to highlight the sector's potential for plant-based proteins and capitalize on the explosive demand for the ingredient. In March, Beyond Meat took a similar step in changing its name to Beyond The Plant Protein Co. as it looked to move into more profitable categories like protein drinks.
BMC Ingredients' fungus-based powders are meant to provide food manufacturers another source of plant-based protein beyond wheat, pea or soy. In addition to being a source of protein, Rhiza ingredients also provide fiber and culinary functionality "without the ultraprocessing necessary to make protein isolates," the company said in a statement.
Over the past few years, BMC Ingredients has increasingly positioned itself as an ingredient supplier to other plant-based meat makers. But the new name change reflects the company's broader ambition to bring its ingredients to other, more in-demand applications like protein bars.
"The BMC Ingredients name better reflects the breadth of what Rhiza mycelium can do,” Paul Shapiro, CEO and co-founder of the company, said in a statement. “As food companies look for scalable, all-natural alternatives to increasingly expensive protein isolates, we’re excited to offer a whole-food mycelium ingredient that delivers nutrition, functionality, and versatility across categories.”
Shapiro previously told Food Dive that mycelium — which is the root-like structure of fungi — is more natural and economical than other plant-based proteins. And as whey protein costs rise, BMC Ingredients is hoping its powders could provide an alternative that doesn't appear overly processed.
BMC Ingredients' mycelium powder can also be used for a variety of applications. Rhiza Tex is for foods where texture is critical, such as animal- and plant-based meats. Rhiza Pro, meanwhile, is meant for smoothies, baked goods and other applications where solubility, emulsification, and gelation are needed.
The company has commissioned a commercial-scale production facility to scale the ingredients for the second quarter of 2027. Once operational, the plant will be capable of producing approximately 100 dry metric tons of mycelium ingredients a month.
