Enifer and FS partner to produce mycoproteins from corn ethanol side streams in Brazil.
Finnish biotech firm Enifer has announced a partnership with Brazilian ethanol producer FS to begin production of its PEKILOPet and PEKILOAqua mycoproteins in Brazil, using side streams from corn ethanol production.
The project marks the first deployment of Enifer’s proprietary fermentation process outside Europe and the first use of corn ethanol-derived thin stillage as a feedstock. A pilot facility is expected to produce a combined 500 tonnes of the product per year.
The mycoproteins, derived from a fungal biomass fermentation process, are intended for use in pet food and aquafeed. They contain around 60% protein, beta-glucan fibre, and are low in fat and carbohydrates.
FS has secured R$9.8 million in public funding from Brazil’s FINEP innovation agency under the Mais Inovação Brasil programme to support the scale-up. The process will be integrated into FS’s ethanol production facilities without displacing existing DDG output.
“This is a significant validation of the flexibility and robustness of the PEKILO fermentation technology,” said Enifer CEO Simo Ellilä.
Enifer is also completing construction of its first large-scale PEKILO facility in Finland, expected to produce 3,000 tonnes annually. The Brazilian pilot may eventually scale to 10,000 tonnes, with potential export markets including Ecuador and Chile.