ESPOO, FINLAND — Finnish biotech company Enifer has released the results of its latest Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), determining the carbon footprint of its mycoprotein ingredient — PEKILO®Pet. The study revealed that PEKILO®Pet has a low carbon footprint, significantly lower than many common pet food ingredients, according to Enifer.

The study reports that the cradle-to-gate total carbon footprint of PEKILO®Pet, covering fossil, biogenic, Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry emissions, is 0.93 kg CO2e per kilogram of product. In contrast, soy protein concentrate produces up to 6.7 kg CO2e per kilogram, meaning that PEKILO®Pet has 86% lower carbon emissions. PEKILO®Pet also performs better than insect protein powder (1.15 kg CO2e) and produces five times fewer emissions than high-quality dry pet food ingredients like lamb (5.84 kg CO2e).

The primary contributor to PEKILO®Pet’s emissions is the production process, including electricity and steam usage, which accounts for 47% of the total emissions. Raw materials account for 38% of emissions, while transportation accounts for 14%. The fossil carbon footprint for PEKILO®Pet alone is calculated at 0.80 kg CO2e per kilogramkg, with raw materials responsible for 45% and production processes for 38% of this total. The cradle-to-gate total carbon footprint for PEKILO®Pet is low as the inputs for the its production process doesn’t directly require land. 

“We are incredibly pleased with the results of this carbon footprint study, which validate the environmental benefits of PEKILO®Pet and our production process in Kantvik, Finland,” said Simo Ellilä, chief executive officer of Enifer. “The findings reinforce our mission to offer sustainable, high-protein solutions to the pet food industry and that constructing new PEKILO®Pet production facilities across Europe will be a significant development in our journey. PEKILO®Pet presents a unique opportunity to significantly lower carbon emissions while maintaining nutritional excellence.”

In 2024, Enifer secured funding for its first €33 million ($34 million) production facility, set for completion by the end of 2025. As of Feb. 27, detailed engineering for the factory is nearing completion, and all major equipment has been ordered, keeping the project on schedule, according to the company. At full capacity, the factory is planned to annually convert agricultural and food industry by-products into 3,000 tons of dry, powdered mycoprotein ingredients.

In addition to its low carbon footprint, PEKILO®Pet has also been shown to help improve gut health in canines. 

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