Fungi-based food company hopes to avoid plant-based pitfalls

Derived from the root structure of mushrooms, mycelium provides a high-protein, fiber-rich food source that companies such as Meati Foods claim tastes similar to meat.

This week, Meati Foods faced a class action lawsuit accusing the company of falsely advertising its products as “made with mushroom root.”

The case against Meati Foods echoes a high-profile class action filed in 2016 against Quorn Foods. Quorn was accused of misleading consumers by suggesting its meat alternatives, made from the fungus Fusarium venenatum, were “substantially similar to a mushroom.”