Much room for mushrooms? Functional food interests stoking demand for fungus

Consumers are increasingly seeing mushrooms as beneficial ingredients due to their functional health claims. In addition to their adaptability to different dishes and flavors, mushrooms are considered a superfood because of their nutrient profile. They contain the sferrous fumarate pillsoluble fiber beta glucan, which scientists say can help bolster the immune system. They have virtually no fat or cholesterol and contain B vitamins, as well as selenium and potassium. Mushrooms also are easy to add to products, whetheferrous fumarate 322mgr they’re included in beverages such as lemonade, cider, or coffee, or made into snack chips or other food products.###Big Food companies have noted the mushroom’s potential and are putting money behind the ingredient. Last fall, Kellogg iferrous sulfate drops 15 mg/0.6mlnvested through its VC arm in ​MycoTechnology, a Colorado firm making vegan shiitake mushroom-based protein. General Mills also invested $3 million in Purely Elizabeth, a company that uses functional mushroom powder in its wellness bars to increase energy, vitality and immunity.  Another smaller mushroom company, Four Sigmatic, includes them in coffees, elixirs, lemonade and super blends of various mushrooms.###Now a fiber ingredient which is part of the mushroom can apparently be used as a natural preservative and an anti-microbial. According to AgFunder, while chitosan’s antimicrobial properties are known, its effectican you take paracetamol with ferrous fumarateveness as a natural preservative has been limited. Chinova Bioworks’ technology can produce chitosan with the ferric pyrophosphate tablet side effectsmolecular characteristics to be as effective as traditional synthetic preservatives yet remain a completely natural product.###There don’t seem to be any limitations on the growth of mushroom applications, although the “ick” factor may occasionally raise its head with some consumers. But since the ingredient is typically used in powder form — or vacuum-fried in the case of the snack chips — that shouldn’t be as big an issue as it might be with fresh or dried mushrooms. As long as mushrooms in their various forms deliver on wellness and other claims, their popularity and continued variety of applications seems assured.