German food-tech start-up Infinite Roots has launched its new Umami Block, a fungi-based savoury protein product, at selected retailers nationwide.

The product is made from edible mushroom fruiting bodies, and contains 29g of protein per pack. It is made using the company’s fermentation technology platform, which cultivates mycelium – the root-like structure of fungi – into valuable, protein-rich food ingredients.

It launches under Infinite Roots’ MushRoots brand, available in German retail and aiming to boost consumption of mushrooms in everyday cooking. The Umami Block retains the range’s familiar savoury flavour, and is positioned as a versatile offering that can be cut and prepared to suit different dishes.

Infinite Roots’ technology platform involves cultivating edible mushroom strains in fermentation tanks. The choice of strain, nutrients and growing conditions influences the properties of the resulting biomass, including flavour and texture, Infinite Roots noted.

The company’s technology spans the process from preparing fermentation feedstocks to cultivation and food development.

Mazen Rizk, founder and CEO of Hamburg-based Infinite Roots, said: “We are creating something new with fungi. The block brings a taste people know and love into a completely new form. Mycelium gives us many more possibilities for foods and textures. What connects them is umami.”