Startups working with novel protein ingredients often see food safety documentation as a late-stage obligation. In our Kantvik mycoprotein plant project at Enifer, we learned (Lucio, 2026) that HACCP documentation can instead become a strategic tool that enables scale-up, certifications and customer trust from day one.

Why Food Safety Matters in Circular Protein Projects

Enifer upcycles industrial side streams into a fungal mycoprotein ingredient for food and feed, building on the historic Finnish PEKILO® technology. The process fits perfectly into the circular bioeconomy narrative: it adds value to by‑products, saves land and water, and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared with many conventional protein sources.

However, circularity alone does not convince regulators or customers. They want evidence that upcycled streams are handled under controlled, traceable and safe conditions. For us, that meant designing HACCP documentation that shows not only where hazards are controlled, but also how sustainability and safety advance together in daily operations

From Pilot Plant Notes to a Coherent HACCP System

When I joined the project, much of the existing knowledge lived in pilot plant reports, individual spreadsheets and Finnish-language forms. Some documents were drafts, others were outdated, and many had never been intended for an audited industrial setting.

The first step was therefore less glamorous but absolutely essential: collecting, sorting and validating everything that already existed. We read pilot data on fermentation parameters, stability and sensory results, compared them with process design information for Kantvik, and started to build structured descriptions of product, process and intended use.

Language as a Hidden Food Safety Challenge

A large share of the original documentation was in Finnish, while the HACCP package and my thesis (Lucio, 2026) had to be completed in English. Automatic translations struggled with technical vocabulary related to microbiology, fermentation and regulation, sometimes changing the meaning in ways that could have affected safety decisions.

Solving this was a team effort. Colleagues from production, quality and R&D spent time explaining process details behind the Finnish notes, so that I could reconstruct accurate English versions rather than literal translations. This step slowed the project in the short term, but in practice it created shared understanding of both terminology and process risks.

Building the HACCP Core: Hazard Analysis and CCPs

The heart of the work (Lucio, 2026) was the hazard analysis for fungal biomass production at Kantvik. We assessed biological hazards such as contamination with unwanted microorganisms or mycotoxin production, chemical hazards like residues from cleaning agents or media components, and physical hazards including foreign materials during packaging.

Because we were working in an emerging industrial environment, we could not rely on long historical deviation data. Instead, we combined pilot-plant experience, regulatory guidance and scientific literature to identify where control really matters. In the end, we defined three Critical Control Points (sterilisation, pasteurisation and metal detection) for the food application, with an adapted CCP structure for feed, reflecting the different risk profiles of the two markets.

For each CCP, we set critical limits using regulatory requirements, scientific references and process design parameters. We then developed monitoring instructions, corrective actions and verification activities such as internal audits and trend analysis of results.

When the Process Flow Diagram Is Still a Draft

One unusual feature of the project was timing: the Kantvik plant was still ramping up when the HACCP documentation was being finalised. This meant that our process flow diagram could not yet be fully verified on site.

To manage this, we used 3D layouts, architectural drawings and equipment installation plans to create a detailed draft. The diagram will be revisited during ramp‑up to confirm product flow, equipment positions and zoning. In other words, we accepted that one document would remain “living” by design, while the rest of the HACCP package reached a more final form.

Integrating HACCP with ISO 9001 and FSSC 22000

From the beginning, the goal was not just a stand‑alone HACCP study. Kantvik aims to operate under an integrated quality and food safety management system aligned with ISO 9001, ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000.

We therefore developed not only Hazard Analyses and CCP records, but also: a Food Safety and Quality Policy, measurable quality and food safety objectives, a clearly defined system scope for future certification, and competence and training records for the HACCP team. These documents translate high-level management system requirements into practical expectations for operators, supervisors and quality staff on the shop floor.

Mycoprotein: Old Idea, New Requirements

The concept of fungal protein is not new in Finland. The original PEKILO project in the 1970s already demonstrated that fungal biomass can be used as a protein source at industrial scale.

Today, the context is very different. Environmental pressures, consumer expectations and regulatory frameworks have all tightened, and fungal mycoprotein is now part of a broader European agenda on protein diversification, food security and sustainability. That shift raises the bar for documented safety, traceability and quality.

For Enifer, this means revisiting a historic success with modern tools: advanced fermentation control, digital monitoring, and certification-ready documentation. The HACCP system functions as the bridge between technological potential and market acceptance.

B2B Ingredient Suppliers Need Strong Documentation

Enifer operates mainly as a B2B ingredient supplier, not a consumer brand. This changes how food safety documentation creates value. Instead of appearing on a label, our work appears in supplier approval forms, audit reports and technical files that customers review before integrating PEKILO® into their products.

The HACCP documentation package, including CCP rationales, monitoring records and verification plans, is therefore a key part of the “story” we tell to potential partners. It shows that we have thought carefully about hazards specific to continuous fungal fermentation, and that we can explain how they are controlled in both food and feed applications.

Kantvik as a Learning and Reference Site

Kantvik is not only a production facility; it is also Enifer’s primary learning and reference site for mycoprotein. As we moved from pilot scale to industrial operations, we used the HACCP project to structure training, clarify responsibilities and strengthen documentation practices across functions.

Training sessions covered topics such as hygiene zoning and colour coding, sampling and analysis in the quality laboratory, and the use of Standard Operating Procedures in day‑to‑day work. This helped transform HACCP from a set of documents into a shared language for food safety and quality.

In the longer term, Kantvik will serve as the template for future plants and collaborations. The documentation and lessons from this project will guide how new sites define their scope, design CCPs and organise training.

What I Learned as a Food Safety Professional

From a personal perspective, the project made HACCP very concrete. It showed how theoretical principles meet real‑world constraints such as incomplete archives, language barriers and evolving process design.

Three lessons stand out:

• Documentation work is strategic, not secondary. It shapes how quickly a novel protein can move from pilot to certified production and trusted market presence.
• Language and organisational history matter as much as technical expertise. Without deliberate translation efforts and cross‑functional conversations, important safety knowledge remains locked in old files or in people’s heads.
• HACCP is most powerful when integrated with broader management systems, sustainability goals and commercial strategy, rather than treated as a narrow compliance checklist.

For other students and professionals working in innovative food and feed companies, my main advice is to engage with HACCP early and treat documentation as part of the value proposition. Doing so will make it easier to convince regulators, certification bodies and B2B customers that novel proteins can be both sustainable and reliably safe.

Lucio, C. (2026). ​​HACCP Documentation Development as a Strategic Tool for Food and Feed Production​. Master’s Thesis. Turku University of Applied Sciences.