Fungal fibre: Upcycled mushroom extract is a natural shelf-life extender
Mushrooms have spent a long time in the shade, overlooked and underutilised by the food industry. However, in the past few years, there has been growing recognition of their health benefits and potential as a nutritional and sustainable food source.
One innovator at the cutting edge of the “mushroom movement” is Canadian biotech company Chinova Bioworks. It has extracted a naturally occurring chitosan fibre from upcycled white button mushrooms to create Chiber – a clean-label preservative that is said to improve the quality, freshness, and shelf life of a variety of food and beverage products.