Quorn talks of fourth fermenter

Consumer demand for Quorn will outstrip the Teesside firm’s supply within a decade, unless it continues to invest to boost capacity.

That’s according to Quorn factory manager Steven Finn, who said the firm would need to start thinking about investing in a fourth fermenter after its new third £30M unit is completed later this year.

“We’re completing the construction of our third fermenter, which will give us an extra 60% capacity of [mycoprotein] production and that’s to meet global consumer demand, which is growing at 10% in volume a year,” he told FoodManufacture.co.uk in this podcast.

‘The next fermenter’

“Looking ahead, we need to decide where we’re going to build the next fermenter and in my opinion this site is the place to do it, because we’ve got the expertise.”

Finn also revealed the company’s plans to boost existing fermenter efficiency by injecting 100% liquid oxygen into them, instead of compressed air, which is 20% oxygen.

Listen to this podcast to find out how Quorn is saving more than £300,000 in steam generation.

Meanwhile, read an interview with Finn in the February issue of Food Manufacture by subscribing.