11.16.23
According to a new consumer survey conducted by mushroom supplier Nammex, consumers largely recognize the word “mushroom” to mean the fruiting body of an organism, and mostly don’t recognize myceliated grain as a “mushroom.”
This consumer survey was conducted amid debate by industry stakeholders over what the word “mushroom” should represent on dietary supplement labels.
Supplements on the marketplace contain a variety of fungal parts, extracted or processed at different phases within the life cycle of a mushroom. Spores, mycelium/myceliated grain, and fruiting bodies are all parts of the same organism, but each contain different profiles of beta-glucans and other bioactive ingredients.
Survey Details
In a survey of 10,000 U.S. residents, respondents largely recognized the fruiting body of a fungus as a “mushroom,” and couldn’t define what a fruiting body was.
“We commissioned this survey as a logical extension of our campaign for clarity and accuracy in mushroom product labeling,” said Skye Chilton, Nammex CEO. “While the industry debates whether or not it’s acceptable to state or imply that mycelium-containing products are mushrooms, we though knowing what consumers actually think was important information for the industry to actually have.”
In the survey, respondents were asked if they knew what a “fruiting body” was, but 71.5% said they didn’t know. They were shown an image which contained a assortment of what Nammex argues to be “mushrooms,” i.e. the cap-and-stem part of the fungus, and were asked, “what are there?”
The lion’s share of consumers (90.1%) identified them as “mushrooms,” while 12.3 identified them as “fungi,” and 2.8% identified them as “fruiting body.”
The next photo shown to respondents was of mycelium, which Nammex argues isn’t a mushroom, growing on a grain substrate in a plastic bag. When asked, “is this a mushroom?” 20.7% identified the myceliated grain as a mushroom, and 79.3% checked the “not a mushroom” box.
Those who identified the myceliated grain as “mushrooms” said they did so because of the context of the survey, or the fact that they’d used mushroom growing kits.
“This data confirms that the vast majority of consumers have a fairly specific idea of what constitutes a mushroom, and it’s not myceliated grain,” Chilton said. “As we have said all along, to the industry and to FDA with our Citizen Petition asking for labeling clarity, it’s essential to be fair to consumers and not imply they are getting something they are not when they buy a product. It’s not only ethical, it protects the industry from losing their trust.”
Supplement Semantics
Nammex argued in its Citizen Petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the term “mushroom” should only represent the fruiting body of a fungus, i.e. the cap and stem, while ingredients derived from mycelium/myceliated grain and spores should be prohibited from being marketed as mushrooms.
Presently, FDA guidance on the matter allows for respective parts of a fungus to be labeled as “mushroom mycelium” or “mushroom spore,” but Nammex and others take the position that “mycelium” and “spore” are more accurate terms.
Nammex’s opinion was met with opposition from a number of companies and organizations. For instance, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), in labeling guidance, and the Natural Products Association (NPA), in a Citizen Petition, argue that “mushroom” should refer to the entire organism and be generally permissible, but part specification should be required on product labels.
Mushroom companies Fungi Perfecti, M2 Ingredients, Gourmet Mushrooms, and Monterey Mushrooms jointly wrote an open letter in response to Nammex’s petition, where they argued that mushroom has been a longstanding term to describe the entire organism, and efforts to change that are a source of public confusion.
This consumer survey was conducted amid debate by industry stakeholders over what the word “mushroom” should represent on dietary supplement labels.
Supplements on the marketplace contain a variety of fungal parts, extracted or processed at different phases within the life cycle of a mushroom. Spores, mycelium/myceliated grain, and fruiting bodies are all parts of the same organism, but each contain different profiles of beta-glucans and other bioactive ingredients.
Survey Details
In a survey of 10,000 U.S. residents, respondents largely recognized the fruiting body of a fungus as a “mushroom,” and couldn’t define what a fruiting body was.
“We commissioned this survey as a logical extension of our campaign for clarity and accuracy in mushroom product labeling,” said Skye Chilton, Nammex CEO. “While the industry debates whether or not it’s acceptable to state or imply that mycelium-containing products are mushrooms, we though knowing what consumers actually think was important information for the industry to actually have.”
In the survey, respondents were asked if they knew what a “fruiting body” was, but 71.5% said they didn’t know. They were shown an image which contained a assortment of what Nammex argues to be “mushrooms,” i.e. the cap-and-stem part of the fungus, and were asked, “what are there?”
The lion’s share of consumers (90.1%) identified them as “mushrooms,” while 12.3 identified them as “fungi,” and 2.8% identified them as “fruiting body.”
The next photo shown to respondents was of mycelium, which Nammex argues isn’t a mushroom, growing on a grain substrate in a plastic bag. When asked, “is this a mushroom?” 20.7% identified the myceliated grain as a mushroom, and 79.3% checked the “not a mushroom” box.
Those who identified the myceliated grain as “mushrooms” said they did so because of the context of the survey, or the fact that they’d used mushroom growing kits.
“This data confirms that the vast majority of consumers have a fairly specific idea of what constitutes a mushroom, and it’s not myceliated grain,” Chilton said. “As we have said all along, to the industry and to FDA with our Citizen Petition asking for labeling clarity, it’s essential to be fair to consumers and not imply they are getting something they are not when they buy a product. It’s not only ethical, it protects the industry from losing their trust.”
Supplement Semantics
Nammex argued in its Citizen Petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the term “mushroom” should only represent the fruiting body of a fungus, i.e. the cap and stem, while ingredients derived from mycelium/myceliated grain and spores should be prohibited from being marketed as mushrooms.
Presently, FDA guidance on the matter allows for respective parts of a fungus to be labeled as “mushroom mycelium” or “mushroom spore,” but Nammex and others take the position that “mycelium” and “spore” are more accurate terms.
Nammex’s opinion was met with opposition from a number of companies and organizations. For instance, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), in labeling guidance, and the Natural Products Association (NPA), in a Citizen Petition, argue that “mushroom” should refer to the entire organism and be generally permissible, but part specification should be required on product labels.
Mushroom companies Fungi Perfecti, M2 Ingredients, Gourmet Mushrooms, and Monterey Mushrooms jointly wrote an open letter in response to Nammex’s petition, where they argued that mushroom has been a longstanding term to describe the entire organism, and efforts to change that are a source of public confusion.
