Fy: Fungi-Based Protein | Nature's Fynd

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Fy

A new-to-the-world, fungi-based protein.

Fy Explained

What is Fy?

Self-professed “science communicator, professional internet guy, and person generally concerned about the future of our planet,” Hank Green, breaks down the science behind our Fy Protein™ in a—wait for it—digestible way.

Hank Green explains Nature's Fynd in a video.

Our Process

Fermentation to Fy.

Mountain in Yellowstone National Park with foggy forest in the foreground
1

Discover

We start with Fusarium strain flavolapis. One specimen isolated from a small sample collected in Yellowstone National Park is all it takes to create a virtually unlimited supply of Fy.

Nature's Fynd employee folding a Fy mat
2

Ferment

For centuries, people used fermentation to make delicious bread, wine, and kombucha. Now we’ve created a new twist on this classic process by inventing a liquid-air interface fermentation technology to grow Fy. We use simple trays in standing towers in a growth chamber where we feed a select blend of nutrients to Fusarium strain flavolapis to trigger high protein formation. In just a few days, the filaments grow and interlace, forming a mat with a texture similar to muscle fiber. It’s sustainable, highly efficient, and elegant. Our method can even take place in space because as long as there’s an appropriately controlled environment, it can happen anytime, anywhere.

Nature's Fynd meatless breakfast sausage and chicken nuggets along with dairy-free yogurt and cream cheese on a table.
3

Transform

From the fermentation trays we use simple food production steps—steaming, pressing, rinsing, and slicing—to get Fy ready. Now it can be transformed into a solid, liquid, or powder and used to create a wide variety of your favorite foods.

Woman eating a Nature's Fynd meatless chicken nugget
4

Eat

And that's it. Delicious, nutritious, sustainable. Take our word for it (or just take a bite).

Benefits

Fy is better for the planet.

Yellowstone National Park with mountains in the distance and hills and a river in the foreground
  • 99% less land.

    Our protein can be grown using roughly 99% less land than beef. In fact, Fy is quite efficient because we are able to produce over 120x more Fyper acre of land than beef. Because of this, we can grow Fy anywhere—from our headquarters in Chicago all the way to space.

  • 94% fewer greenhouse gases.

    Unlike raising cattle for beef, our simple, inspired-by-nature technology produces very little CO2 and no methane which can have a huge impact on energy conservation. And with 50% of the planet’s population projected to live in cities, it’s more important than ever to grow food close to where people live. With our fermentation method, we can grow Fy in urban environments.

  • 99% less water.

    One major advantage of our food production is the low water use. We don’t depend on rainfall to grow Fy and don't need to irrigate acres of land, which leads to less water use. Our fermentation is also less water-intensive than most other fermentation methods.

  • Source: Fy environmental performance modeled at scale, 2021.

Blog

What's the difference between plant-based and fungi-based?

The world of alternative proteins is now wonderfully diverse and can definitely send one down a rabbit hole of Google searches for days. In this blog post, we break down how industries categorize proteins by where the protein is coming from—such as plant-based, fungi-based (like our Fy Protein), algae-based, insect-based, and even protein grown in labs from animal cells.

Icons showing different types of alternative proteins: fungi-based, lab-grown, plant-based, and insect-based

Our Foods

Open your eyes to the possibilities of foods made with Fy.

Think about something tasty. Now imagine it’s better for the planet and better for you. At Nature's Fynd and The Fynder Group, the parent company of Nature's Fynd, we’ve unlocked a variety of versatile foods with nutritional fungi protein.

Nature's Fynd Meatless Breakfast Patties on bun with arugula, tomato, and avocado slices. Slices of bread with Nature's Fynd Dairy-Free Chive & Onion Cream Cheese on a blue plate. A bowl of dairy-free cream cheese and three radishes sit to the side.