In a Crowded Market there is no ‘shroom’ for Legal Mistakes

[Reece Gallardo]

<br>Mushrooms have been gaining mass appeal with the likes of ‘Magic medicine’ and ‘Fantastic fungi” making it to the big screen and Netflix audiences alike. So, is this the time for Mushrooms to make it big on the healthy foods market? It is some 16 years since I wrote an article for Function Foods & Ingredients magazine (Newhope Media, Boulder) titled “Mushrooms’ healthy potential for nutraceuticals”, so the category must be worth another look. This growth can be put down to a few key categories that have continued to develop of the back of COVID and more recently the increasing stress due to inflation and other income pressures such as fuel / energy costs. These include immune health (Shin et al. 2019; Vascellari et al 2021), stress (Bao et al. The take home is such growth rates are bolstering the need for new and innovative products to meet potential consumer demand and companies are becoming more interested in this whole category.<br>
<br>Regulators in Germany now have their own specific sub-working working group on mushrooms (Die Unterarbeitsgruppe (UAG) Pilzliste) that met for the 1st time in March this year. Moving forward, the discussion will be based around safety and how that may relate to what can be put in your products and that means increasing scrutiny and a need to ensure what you formulate with is safe. With over 30 edible mushrooms permissible in the EU then the choice of not only the specific mushroom but also its benefits can be explored to create a unique formulation. Speaking of regulations, take care in what mushrooms and form is used or you may fall foul of the novel foods regulations. Shiitake, Agaricus blazei, Coprinus comatus, and Reishi have all been assessed in accordance with Article 4 of the novel foods regulation. In consideration of Reishi, it is clearly not novel as an intact food.<br>
<br>However, the application on Reishi was to determine if the mycelium when dehydrated and powdered was novel. The conclusion is it was. That means mycelium powder from Reishi is illegal for use in the EU unless a safety dossier is submitted to the relevant authorities and approval for food use granted. This should be a warning to food business and manufactures alike – they must ensure what they place on the market is compliant if under their control. If compliance is found wanting, they maybe libel to prosecution under the novel foods regulations. In some member states the fines alone are significant with Slovenia imposing as much as 10% of turnover or up to €1.6mn. We have already had 3 cases over the past 12 months of companies issued stop notices for the sale of products with such novel mushrooms. It’s clear for some authorities it’s on their radar. Beyond formulation consideration food businesses need to communicate the benefits to consumers.<br>
<br>Indeed, in the EU on-hold of health claims permit a number of health claims for mushrooms to be made including immune support and cholesterol for Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) mushrooms. Of course, this is where a good scientist and formulator is needed to ensure the claims can be supported based on the science and the final dose in the product. As a source for new formulations and health foods we may see the move from generic white and button mushrooms on our pizza to high protein pizza fortified with immune boosting Reishi or Shiitake. Or we may see an increasing interest as functional ingredients in their own rights as independent or adjuncts to those ingredients that are already permitted to make immune health claims. What is clear is mycology has taken a step up since my first article on the issue some 16 years ago and is now become increasingly mainstream. Its time now for industry to invest and begin some real research that can commercialise the benefits of these untapped natural products. Bao et al. “Griflola frondosa (GF) produces significant antidepressant effects involving AMPA receptor activation in mice”. Shin et al. “The Effects of AHCC®, a Standardized Extract of Cultured Lentinura edodes Mycelia, on Natural Killer and T Cells in Health and Disease: Reviews on Human and Animal Studies”. Verified Market Research. “Global Sports Nutrition Market”. Vascellari et al. “Antiproliferative and antiviral activity of methanolic extracts from Sardinian Maltese Mushroom (Cynomorium coccineum L. In case you have virtually any questions about wherever and also how to make use of manufacturer of shiitake mushroom extract powder as Raw Material for Supplements, you are able to e-mail us at the page. )” Nat Prod Res. Yao et al. “Ganoderma lucidum promotes sleep through a gut microbiota-dependent and serotonin-involved pathway in mice”.<br>
<br>It is famous for its Ganoderma business. Its products include dietary supplements, food and beverages, personal care products, skincare, and cosmetics, household products, and water treatment system. Since its foundation, DXN has upheld its vision of ‘One Dragon, One World, One Market, and One Mind.’ With this emphatic vision, DXN has continued development over the years. DXN Holdings Berhad is the investment holdings and management company of DXN Group. Hokkaido Reishi was founded to contribute to the amelioration of everybody’s health. It conducts experiments on the cultivation of the premium quality Reishi Mushroom (Ganoderma Lucidium), known as a premium quality Basidiomycetes Polyporaceae. The company was successful in the artificial cultivation of the rare Deer Horn Shaped Ganoderma Lucidium. It has als started producing drinks and continued developing and commercializing tea bags, supplements, and decoctions. The company has expanded to Asia with partners distributing the best reishi in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea, Philippines.<br>

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