SupplySide West mushroom session delves into science, identity issuesSupplySide West mushroom session delves into science, identity issues

Functional mushrooms are a huge growth area in the supplement industry. A panel at SupplySide West delved into some of the key questions in the field, such as emerging science, different production methods and identity and labeling issues. Price: $75

Hank Schultz, Senior Editor

November 11, 2024

functional mushrooms ingredient science

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At a Glance

Mushroom panel covered key issues in hot growth category.
Session included presentations on mushroom science and production methods.
anel portion included fruiting body vs. mycelium discussion.

The buzz around functional mushrooms (and their versatility) has infiltrated nearly every corner of the wellness and nutrition industry and demand for these fungi has never been higher. However, as this fascination grows, so do questions about the science, standards and understanding that underpin the burgeoning market. This session, which included presentations from Roy Upton, founder of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Bill Chioffi chief operating officer of Nammex and Julie Daoust, chief science officer of M2 Ingredients, gave a clear view of the scientific highpoints as well as information about different production methods. During the panel discussion portion of the 90-minute long event, the controversial question of the identity of mushroom ingredient was covered. This questions centers around the issue of whether the term “mushroom” should only apply to the fruiting body of the fungal organism, or whether it can equally apply to the mycelium, the threadlike structures within the host medium from which the fruiting bodies erupt.

Timeline:

0 to 5:30 Panel introduction and questions posed to audience.

6:00 to 30:30. Presentation on highlights of mushroom science presented by Roy Upton. This included an overview of the fungal product labeling protocol developed by the American Herbal Products Association in conjunction with industry stakeholders.

Related:Study using huge dataset links vegan, vegetarian diets with better health

30:30 to 51:30. Bill Chioffi on Nammex’s production methods.

51:45 to 1:12 Julie Daoust on M2 Ingredients’ operations.

1:12. Beginning of panel discussion and questions from the audience.

Price: $75

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About the Author

Hank Schultz

Hank Schultz

Senior Editor, Informa

Hank Schultz has been the senior editor of SupplySide Supplement Journal (formerly Natural Products Insider) since early 2023. He can be reached at [email protected]

Prior to joining the Informa team, he was an editor at NutraIngredients-USA, a William Reed Business Media publication.

His approach to industry journalism was formed via a long career in the daily newspaper field. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in journalism and German, Hank was an editor at the Tempe Daily News in Arizona. He followed that with a long stint working at the Rocky Mountain News, a now defunct daily newspaper in Denver, where he rose to be one of the city editors. The newspaper won two Pulitzer Prizes during his time there.

The changing landscape of the newspaper industry led him to explore other career paths. He began his career in the natural products industry more than a decade ago at New Hope Natural Media, which was then part of Penton and now is an Informa brand. Hank formed friendships and partnerships within the industry that still inform his work to this day, which helps him to bring an insider’s perspective, tempered with an objective journalist’s sensibility, to his in-depth reporting.

Harkening back to his newspaper days, Hank considers the readers to be the primary stakeholders whose needs must be met. Report the news quickly, comprehensively and above all, fairly, and readership and sponsorships will follow.

In 2015, Hank was recognized by the American Herbal Products Association with a Special Award for Journalistic Excellence.

When he’s not reporting on the supplement industry, Hank enjoys many outside pursuits. Those include long distance bicycle touring, mountain climbing, sailing, kayaking and fishing. Less strenuous pastimes include travel, reading (novels and nonfiction), studying German, noodling on a harmonica, sketching and a daily dose of word puzzles in The New York Times.

Last but far from least, Hank is a lifelong fan and part owner of the Green Bay Packers.

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