Mycoprotein Patent
In the European Union, all patents expire after 25 years. The retail product was produced in 1985, so the mycoprotein patent expired in 2010 in all EU countries. Now anyone can produce mycoprotein products, but using other brands, because Marlow Foods maintains the Quorn brand. On 14 March 2011, CEO Kevin Brennan said in an interview: “Some patents surrounding the core technology have expired, but the product uses a peculiar fermentation method, and we have 30-plus years experience in perfecting this on site to produce the product better and at a lower costs. Huge related costs include £30m cost for a fermentation tower and related equipment, so you can’t simply look at a patent and say ‘there you go’.” Cangzhou East Feed Additive has launched mycoprotein foods for pigs.
Read more about this topic: Quorn
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