Summary
From the results of these exploratory experiments, sugar beets appear to be well suited for use in a program designed to produce protein by utilization of fungi. The fastest fungus growth rate in any medium prepared and tested in the program which was initiated five years ago was observed in beet root medium. Growth was completed in 30 hr., although total crude protein per 100 g beet roots was not as great as that obtained in later work employing a modified medium and longer incubation time. The highest yield obtained to date was 3.48g protein/100g roots. Thus it is possible to produce 15.79g of protein per pound of fresh roots which initially contained only 3.40g of crude protein. World production of sugar beets in the 1962–63 season was 148,910,000 metric tons (FAO Production Yearbook). If this material were utilized as such in a fungus conversion process, it would be possible to produce sufficient protein to supply the annual needs of 218,153, 150 people—slightly more than the present United States population, although, unless it differs from other vegetable proteins in being complete in so far as man is concerned, it would undoubtedly have to be fed in combination with proteins from other sources.
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The authors are indebted to the Mershon Committee for Education in National Security and the Rockefeller Foundation for financial assistance which made this work possible.
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Gray, W.D., Abou-El-Seoud, M.O. Fungal protein for food and feeds. IV. Whole sugar beets or beet pulp as a substrate. Econ Bot 20, 372–376 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02904058
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02904058