Slicing into the Future: Prime Roots Redefines the Deli with Mycelium Meats

Courtesy: Prime Roots

After seven years in the lab, Prime Roots is taking its fungi-fueled mission mainstream—by the slice. The Berkeley-based startup, known for its mycelium-powered approach to plant-based meat, has announced a new line of clean-label deli products aimed at transforming one of the most culturally iconic, but nutritionally lagging, sections of the supermarket: the deli counter.

With a suite of updated recipes now available at hundreds of delis, restaurants, and grocery stores across 30+ states, Prime Roots isn’t just adding another alt protein to the shelf. It’s offering what third-party blind taste tests suggest is a superior option even for meat lovers. In fact, a majority of meat-eating testers said they’d choose Prime Roots’ mycelium deli slices over conventional meat, marking a notable shift in consumer openness—and tastebud readiness—for fungi-based foods.

“We’ve always seen Prime Roots as a new-school deli brand,” said co-founder Kimberlie Le, who launched the company in 2017 with a vision to modernize meat, not mimic it. “The goal has been clear: to serve up the full deli experience—flavor, texture, and nostalgia—without the health and environmental downsides.”

That vision now arrives freshly sliced. The upgraded lineup features Smoked Turkey, Cracked Pepper Turkey, Smoked Ham, Black Forest Ham, Salami, Cupping Pizza Pepperoni, and even plant-based Bacon—all designed for commercial deli slicers and ready to be served hot or cold. The products are free from nitrates, cholesterol, GMOs, soy, gluten, and artificial ingredients. Instead, they’re built from whole-food mycelium protein that’s not only fiber-rich and minimally processed, but also complete in amino acids—offering the kind of protein quality typically reserved for animal products.

And it’s not just health-conscious shoppers taking notice. Retailers are reporting strong sales from Prime Roots’ revamped offerings, with some stores seeing 20% overall growth in deli sales, according to the company. Rather than cannibalizing existing options, Prime Roots appears to be expanding the category, attracting consumers who previously felt sidelined by the lack of clean-label, nutritious choices behind the deli glass.

In an era where ingredient literacy is rising and more than three-quarters of consumers report wanting to eat healthier, Prime Roots hits a nerve. The company is particularly vocal about offering a nitrate-free promise at a time when nitrates—still common in processed meats—are listed by the World Health Organization as Group 1 carcinogens. Even so-called “natural” nitrate sources, like celery salt, don’t pass the test for Le and her team. Their products skip the shortcuts, aiming for transparency in every slice.

But the fungi-powered revolution isn’t just a health play—it’s a climate one too. Prime Roots estimates its products emit 91% fewer greenhouse gases and use 92% less water than conventional meat, with drastically reduced contributions to water eutrophication. As the environmental toll of animal agriculture comes under increasing scrutiny, the use of mycelium—a fast-growing, low-input filament from mushrooms—offers a compelling alternative rooted in biomimicry and efficient growth.

With production scaled and distribution expanding, Prime Roots is now moving from a promising startup to a national player in the alt protein movement. While much of the sector has focused on burgers, nuggets, and sausages, Prime Roots has quietly cultivated its niche in deli culture—an area ripe for innovation but slow to change.

If taste, health, and sustainability can coexist behind the deli counter, Prime Roots may have cracked not just a recipe, but a blueprint for the future of everyday eating.