Meat and fish made from fungi? Chicago companies pursue next frontier of alternative proteins

CHICAGO — Chicago-based food tech company Nature’s Fynd plans to open a facility in the Back of the Yards that will help it scale up production as it launches its meatless breakfast patties and dairy-free cream cheese in stores, including Chicago-area Mariano’s.

It’s one of two Chicago companies using fermentation to turn microbes from the fungi family into animal-free protein sources, as consumer interest in alternative proteins surges.

U.S. sales of meat substitutes leaped 47% to nearly $1.5 billion in 2020 as consumers stocked up and did more cooking at home during the pandemic, according