BMC Ingredients secures Indian approval for Rhiza mycelium ahead of 2027 launch

BMC Ingredients has secured approval from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for its Rhiza mycelium ingredient, with commercial availability planned for the second quarter of 2027.

• BMC Ingredients secured FSSAI approval for its Rhiza mycelium ingredient in India, adding to regulatory clearances previously obtained in the USA, Canada and Singapore.
• The company offered Rhiza in textured chunks for meat replacement and enhancement, and as a powder for manufacturers seeking to add protein and dietary fiber.
• BMC targeted commercial availability in India for the second quarter of 2027, as part of its plans to supply food manufacturers and expand international sales.

The Sacramento-based company announced on October 27 that the regulator had issued an approval letter for the fermentation-derived ingredient. India joins the United States, Canada and Singapore among the markets where Rhiza has received regulatory clearance, extending the company’s international expansion plans.

BMC, formerly known as The Better Meat Co., supplies mycelium ingredients for food manufacturers. Its Indian plans cover both meat applications and animal-free foods, with Rhiza available in textured chunks and a powder designed to add protein and dietary fiber.

“India has extraordinary culinary traditions that lend themselves well to a new high-protein mycelium ingredient,” said Paul Shapiro, CEO and co-founder of BMC Ingredients. “Indians want more protein, but they don’t have to get it from meat or processed isolates like whey, and can instead enjoy this all-natural whole food.”

Rhiza is produced by fermenting Neurospora crassa, a species of fungus with an established history of food use. The ingredient consists of mycelium, the network of thread-like structures through which fungi grow, and provides both protein and fiber within the resulting fungal biomass.

BMC describes Rhiza as a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids. The company also identifies iron, zinc and potassium among its nutritional attributes and says the ingredient is non-GMO, suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets, halal and kosher.

Its two formats serve different manufacturing requirements. The chunks provide a meat-like texture for products that replace meat or combine mycelium with conventional meat. The powder allows manufacturers to incorporate the ingredient into foods where protein and fiber enrichment are the principal objectives.

That gives BMC routes into products for consumers with different dietary preferences. A meat manufacturer can use the textured ingredient in a blended formulation, while a producer of animal-free foods can use the same underlying mycelium as an alternative protein source.

The company’s website also describes Rhiza as shelf-stable, suitable for storage at ambient temperature and free from soy, dairy, eggs and gluten. Alongside its meat and seafood applications, BMC markets formats for active-lifestyle products and baked goods.

The Indian approval follows several earlier regulatory milestones, although the processes differed between markets. In the USA, the Food and Drug Administration issued a 'no questions' letter in 2024 in response to the company’s determination that Rhiza was generally recognized as safe, or GRAS. The uses described in that notification included dairy alternatives, meat alternatives and use as a meat enhancer.

Singapore Food Authority approval followed in 2024. More recently, Health Canada issued a letter of no objection covering applications including blended meat and seafood, animal-free meat alternatives and dairy alternatives.

The Canadian assessment provides further detail on the ingredient’s composition and production. As reported by Green Queen in July 2026, Rhiza contains approximately 45% protein and 30% fiber. Following fermentation, the biomass is separated from its growth medium through filtration before further processing, dehydration and packaging.

BMC is pursuing Indian customers as demand for protein develops across several food categories. A March 2025 analysis from the US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service identified rising demand for poultry, fish and seafood, and dairy, with further growth expected as incomes rise.

The USDA linked those consumption patterns to population growth, rising incomes and urbanization. Milk products accounted for the largest share of animal-product consumption in its analysis, at 81.8 kilograms per person in 2022, followed by fish and seafood at 8.9 kilograms and eggs at 4.7 kilograms.

BMC’s announcement also cited Euromonitor figures reported by Reuters showing that India’s high-protein dairy market grew 9.4% in 2024 to US$1.5 billion. The company sees opportunities in protein-enriched everyday foods alongside its meat replacement and enhancement applications.

Commercial supply will depend on BMC’s production expansion. In July, Shapiro told Green Queen that the company intended to begin producing large-scale commercial volumes in the second quarter of 2027, including shipments to Canada. At that time, BMC was working with a contract manufacturer in Asia on capacity expected to produce 100 dry metric tons of Rhiza per month.

The planned Indian launch falls within the same quarter. BMC has not named Indian manufacturing customers or specified which finished products will be the first to contain Rhiza.

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