Gibsons, BC, Canada (June 7, 2026) — Nammex Mushrooms, Inc., the premier North American supplier of Certified Organic Functional Mushroom Extracts, has developed a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) to provide independent, expert scientific guidance to the Nammex management team and Board of Directors on matters related to scientific substantiation, research design, analytical testing, quality systems, and ethical standards applicable to the development and commercialization of Nammex’s organic mushroom extracts and related fungi-derived ingredients, unique knowledge, and data. 

The SAB supports Nammex’s commitment to truthful, non-misleading, scientifically based labeling and marketing, scientifically accurate product characterization, and responsible innovation in functional mycology science. It also serves as an independent think tank producing generative ideation informed by a multidisciplinary group of passionate and dedicated experts.  

 “Nammex has always sought the opinion of other experts on scientific aspects of mushrooms and applied mycology and it seemed obvious to coalesce the individual efforts of our retained consultants into a group think tank.” said Bill Chioffi, Nammex COO. “While we anticipate expanding the membership, this core group brings significant expertise and innovative energy to Nammex.”

 The SAB members include:

Lee Carroll Medical Herbalist, Educator & Product Developer — Brisbane, Australia.Lee Carroll is a leading medical herbalist, innovator, speaker, educator, and mentor with over 30 years of experience in the herbal industry, 23 years teaching herbal medicine to healthcare professionals, and 11 years in private practice. He holds a Bachelor of Health Science (Western Herbal Medicine), BHSc (whm) and a Bachelor of Science (Botany), BSc from Melbourne University. 

Jeff Chilton Ethnomycologist, Chairman of the Board & Founder, Nammex. Jeff Chilton is a pioneering mycologist and entrepreneur who has been a foundational figure in the North American medicinal mushroom industry for over 50 years. He continues to serve as founder and president of Nammex, the first company to supply certified organic mushroom extracts to the supplement industry.

Steven Dentali, Ph.D. Botanical Ingredient Authority & Natural Product Chemist. Steven Dentali is an internationally recognized authority on botanical ingredients and natural product chemistry with over 30 years of post-graduate experience in the herbal supplement industry. He is the founder of Dentali Botanical Sciences and remains an active educator and consultant.

Dennis McKenna, Ph.D. Ethnopharmacologist, Research Pharmacognosist & Author. Dennis McKenna is an American ethnopharmacologist, research pharmacognosist, lecturer, and author. He is a founding board member and Director of Ethnopharmacology at the Heffter Research Institute, a non-profit dedicated to investigating the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicines. Beyond his research in psychedelics, McKenna has been a pivotal figure in the natural products industry, serving as a trusted scientific advisor to Nammex and founder Jeff Chilton for decades.

Robert Silver, DVM, MS, FACVBM Integrative Veterinarian & Chief Veterinary Officer, Real Mushrooms. Dr. Robert Silver is a 1982 graduate of Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He received his Master’s degree in cardiopulmonary physiology (1976) and his Bachelor’s degree with honors in Animal Science (1974), both from CSU.

Anna Sitkoff, N.D. Naturopathic Doctor & Medicinal Mushroom Researcher — Private Practice, Poulsbo, WA. Dr. Anna Sitkoff is a licensed naturopathic doctor, medicinal mushroom expert, and researcher specializing in applied mycology — the clinical application of fungi in wellness and disease. She earned her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University, where she conducted laboratory research on Fomitopsis cajanderi (rosy polypore) and its effects on cancer cell lines.

Kevin Spelman, Ph.D., MCPP Botanical Medicine Pharmacologist, Clinician & Researcher. Kevin Spelman is a clinician, researcher, and educator whose expertise lies in the pharmacology of botanical medicine. He brings three decades of clinical work in Ayurveda and western phytotherapy, academic professorships, and a decade of laboratory and clinical research.

The SAB will engage periodically with Nammex leadership, including the CEO, Chief Operating Officer, and QPIC/Lab Director, to maintain alignment between scientific guidance and corporate strategy. All members, who are compensated by Nammex for their time, are required to disclose potential conflicts of interest promptly and transparently.

About Nammex
Since 1989, Nammex has pioneered the cultivation of organic mushrooms and development of high-quality mushroom extracts to support consumer health and wellness. For over 30 years, Nammex has been a leader in advancing the scientific understanding of mushroom extracts and commercial use of scientifically validated analytical methods for quality control testing of fungal products.  Nammex’s mushroom extracts and concentrates are produced under rigorous quality standards, including growing mushrooms naturally using organic practices, processing the mushrooms following cGMP standards, QC testing in qualified laboratories, and yearly audits of farm and factory. Nammex founder and President Jeff Chilton has deep, longstanding relationships with China’s top researchers and growers of medicinal mushrooms and the current team is cultivating those into the future of the company. https://www.nammex.com/

Trade Press Contact:
Suzanne Shelton
+1 847-922-5454
[email protected]

Gibsons, BC, Canada (June 1, 2026) — Nammex Mushrooms, Inc., the premier North American supplier of Certified Organic Functional Mushroom Extracts, introduces ErinaPrime™, a 100% pure freeze-dried Lion’s Mane mycelium powder. Unlike conventional mycelium fermented grain products, which are an inseparable grain and mycelium matrix, ErinaPrime™ contains only pure Lion’s Mane mycelium with no grain fillers and verified levels of Erinacine A, a clinically studied neuroactive compound found exclusively in Lion’s Mane mycelium.

“Nammex has historically focused on organic mushroom extract powders because most mycelium ingredients on the market are mycelium fermented grain products with chemical profiles much closer to the grain substrate than to pure mycelium,” said Skye Chilton, CEO of Nammex. “ErinaPrime™ is fundamentally different. It is 100% pure Lion’s Mane mycelium standardized to 1% Erinacine A, produced through a sophisticated submerged liquid fermentation process designed specifically to preserve and optimize these compounds. This ingredient is in a league of its own.”

Unlike grain-based or so-called “full spectrum” mycelial products, ErinaPrime™ was developed as a defined neuroactive mycelium ingredient, with production optimized specifically for compound expression, consistency, and analytical verification. The ingredient is cultivated through a proprietary submerged liquid fermentation process and processed post-harvest via precision freeze-drying to preserve the mycelium’s natural biochemical profile without extraction or solvents.

“Protecting the integrity of the erinacines is paramount throughout the entire process,” Chilton said. “Mycelium is fragile, and consistently producing meaningful levels of erinacine A at commercial scale requires specialized expertise in strain optimization, liquid culture fermentation, analytical verification, and quality assurance. Every stage of production is focused on preserving the biochemical composition and consistency of the mycelium.”

ErinaPrime™ is manufactured through Nammex’s exclusive partnership with Novelara and produced by Grape King Bio, whose integrated scientific infrastructure includes mushroom research facilities, reference standard manufacturing laboratories, and advanced analytical capabilities dedicated specifically to erinacine production and verification.

“There’s no shortcut to bringing a genuinely novel ingredient like ErinaPrime™ to market,” said Paul Eftang, CEO of Novelara. “We spent the better part of a decade building the scientific infrastructure to make this possible; a mushroom research facility, a reference standard manufacturing lab, and new analytical methods developed specifically to standardize erinacine A. Our partners at Grape King Bio built a state-of-the-art liquid bioreactor facility capable of producing pure Lion’s Mane mycelium standardized to erinacine A at true commercial scale. Based on testing at Omnient Labs, ErinaPrime™ contains more than 90 times the erinacine A content of the average Lion’s Mane sample evaluated, underscoring just how differentiated this ingredient is from anything currently in the category.”

Brands formulating with ErinaPrime™ can consistently expect clinically significant levels of Erinacine A standardized to 1% or 10 mg/g. With as little as 3 mg, Erinacine A has been associated with clinically validated structure-function support for neurocognitive health. Potency levels are verified through validated analytical testing conducted by an independent ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited laboratory.

ErinaPrime™ is also supported by an active and expanding research program. Grape King Bio has completed multiple human clinical trials, with additional studies currently underway to further investigate the neurocognitive potential of Lion’s Mane mycelium compounds, particularly erinacines. This ongoing research contributes to a growing scientific understanding of standardized Lion’s Mane mycelium and supports more rigorous formulation development within the cognitive health category.

“We are partnering with Nammex to extend the reach of ErinaPrime and help push the mushroom ingredient category toward higher-quality, science-founded ingredients,” Eftang added. “Nammex has spent decades building trust through education, quality, and responsible commercialization, making them an ideal partner for bringing this next-generation Lion’s Mane ingredient to a broader market.

About Nammex
Since 1989, Nammex has pioneered the cultivation of organic mushrooms and development of high-quality mushroom extracts to support consumer health and wellness. For over 30 years, Nammex has been a leader in advancing the scientific understanding of mushroom extracts and commercial use of scientifically validated analytical methods for quality control testing of fungal products.  Nammex’s mushroom extracts and concentrates are produced under rigorous quality standards, including growing mushrooms naturally using organic practices, processing the mushrooms following cGMP standards, QC testing in qualified laboratories, and yearly audits of farm and factory. Nammex founder and President Jeff Chilton has deep, longstanding relationships with China’s top researchers and growers of medicinal mushrooms and the current team is cultivating those into the future of the company. https://www.nammex.com/

Trade Press Contact:
Suzanne Shelton
+1 847-922-5454
[email protected]

Gibsons, British Columbia (April 7, 2026) — Nammex Mushrooms, Inc will give two scientific presentations at the International Congress on Science of Botanicals (ICSB 2026), April 20 – 23, 2026 in Oxford, Mississippi, contributing its expertise to help answer a growing global call from standards-setting organizations and industry laboratories for authenticated fungal reference materials to support quality, safety, and regulatory compliance in the rapidly expanding functional mushroom sector. Accurate characterization is essential for conducting clinical studies as well as for formulating products based upon that research.

Across both a poster presentation and a short talk, Nammex researchers will address a critical gap long recognized by organizations such as AOAC INTERNATIONAL and analytical laboratories worldwide: the lack of species-specific, validated reference materials for fungi, particularly commercially important species like Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane).

Addressing a Critical Industry Gap

The functional mushroom category has experienced rapid growth, but analytical infrastructure has lagged behind. Without authenticated reference materials, laboratories face challenges in:

• Verifying species identity
• Detecting adulteration or substitution
• Validating analytical methods
• Establishing harmonized standards

Both ICSB presentations emphasize that authenticated reference materials are foundational to solving these challenges.

Poster Presentation: “Reference Material Development for Hericium erinaceus and Other Mushrooms” (Authors Melissa Ishii, Kevin Spelman, Kelsey Dodds, Coleton Windsor, Nicole Boulton, Dr. Anna E. Kreynes, Chris Niebergall). Dr. Kevin Spelman will be presenting the poster on behalf of the team. This work outlines Nammex’s multi-layered authentication framework combining:

• Morphological and macroscopic voucher verification
• Next-generation DNA sequencing
• HPTLC and HPLC chemical fingerprinting
• Third-party NMR validation

These orthogonal methods collectively establish robust, reproducible reference materials for H. erinaceus and other fungi, designed to support method validation and standards development efforts, including ongoing collaboration with AOAC INTERNATIONAL. Some specimens from Nammex’s Psilocybe research program are included in this poster. 

Short Talk: “Authenticated Hericium erinaceus Mushroom and Selected Mycelia Reference Materials for General Industry Use” presented by Steven Dentali, PhD. This presentation focuses on practical implementation and industry application, demonstrating how authenticated reference materials enable:

• Routine laboratory screening (e.g., HPTLC methods)
• Detection of adulterants
• Alignment across testing laboratories
• Advancement of Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPRs)

The work highlights Nammex’s role in supporting AOAC’s Botanical Identity and Dietary Supplements Integrity (BIDSI) program and broader standardization initiatives.

Alignment with Global Standards Initiatives

These presentations come at a time when standard-setting bodies and industry stakeholders are actively calling for improved botanical and fungal authentication tools. Collaborating laboratories and the scientific community have emphasized the need for:

• Publicly available, well-characterized reference materials
• Species-specific analytical methods
• Cross-laboratory validation frameworks

Nammex’s Reference Material Program directly addresses these priorities, offering authenticated materials, including mushrooms and mycelia, to support both regulatory and commercial testing environments.

By integrating genetic, chemical, and spectroscopic verification, Nammex’s approach reflects a broader shift toward multi-modal authentication as the gold standard for natural products.

“These presentations reinforce a simple but urgent point,” said Nammex CEO Skye Chilton. “Without authenticated reference materials, there can be no reliable standards. And without standards, the integrity of the category remains at risk.”

Authenticated Hericium erinaceus and other fungal reference materials developed through this program are available to qualified laboratories and organizations upon request.

About Nammex
Since 1989, Nammex has pioneered the cultivation of organic mushrooms and development of high-quality mushroom extracts to support consumer health and wellness. For over 30 years, Nammex has been a leader in advancing the scientific understanding of mushroom extracts and commercial use of scientifically validated analytical methods for quality control testing of fungal products.  Nammex’s mushroom extracts and concentrates are produced under rigorous quality standards, including growing mushrooms naturally using organic practices, processing the mushrooms following cGMP standards, QC testing in qualified laboratories, and yearly audits of farm and factory. Nammex founder and President Jeff Chilton has deep, longstanding relationships with China’s top researchers and growers of medicinal mushrooms and the current team is cultivating those into the future of the company. https://www.nammex.com/

Trade Press Contact:
Suzanne Shelton
+1 847-922-5454
[email protected]

Gibsons, BC, Canada (January 28, 2025) – Nammex, the premier North American supplier of Certified Organic Functional Mushroom Extracts, has long advocated for accuracy and transparency in labeling and marketing fungi products. In light of a recent misleading marketing campaign, the Nammex management team feels compelled to renew that call.

“As happens more often than it should, those of us who have long been advocates for transparency in fungi product labeling and marketing are compelled to clarify the issue,” said Skye Chilton, CEO of Nammex. “It’s really very simple. The main point we have been making for decades is that functional fungi products should be accurately and properly identified in their entirety. To protect the integrity of this growing product category, consumers deserve the truth. Products that don’t contain mushrooms shouldn’t be hidden behind the term mushroom.”

Inconsistent use of fungal terminology, especially the term “mushroom,” is fueling the confusion. This is especially prevalent in product marketing, and a disservice to consumers. Information on the correct use of terminology is readily available, including on the Nammex website. A consumer survey of 10,000 people found overwhelmingly that shoppers know what a mushroom is and expect it to be the fruiting body when they buy a product marketed as mushroom.

“The North American Functional Mushroom Council marketing group with “mushroom” in its name and made up primarily of mycelium fermented grain producers, doesn’t even have the word “mycelium” on its website,” said Skye. “It does, however, have the word “mushroom” in its name and over 100 times on its website, which also features plenty of pictures of mushrooms. The implication is they represent products made from mushrooms, which they primarily do not.”

When mycelium is grown on a grain substrate, which is the most economical and common method of obtaining this fungal part in North America, the majority of the final product is the grain. This has been clearly demonstrated many times, including Nammex’s recent peer reviewed paper on chaga. It’s not “transformed” into something else as often claimed. AOAC method 996.11 for starch testing confirms and quantifies this grain presence, as mushrooms and mycelium themselves contain no starch. It’s an inexpensive test that most 3rd party labs can perform. The chemical profile is closer to the grain than the mushroom or mycelium. And yet the grain component goes unacknowledged in most mycelium fermented grain product labeling and marketing.

Nammex and other companies committed to transparency and label accuracy are not alone in this concern. The US Food & Drug Administration already states that “labeling should not suggest or imply that the food contains mushrooms” when it does not.

Another potential regulatory vulnerability is the marketing of mycelium fermented grain products with the claim “Made with US Grown Mushrooms” which Nammex views as misleading to consumers and against FDA guidelines. Actual US mushroom growers should be concerned about this deception. 

“Full spectrum” is another term often used to obfuscate mycelium fermented grain. A full-spectrum preparation is a formulation intentionally designed to preserve the broad, representative chemical complexity of a specific, therapeutically relevant plant or fungal part, prioritizing the synergistic interactions of natural constituents over the isolation of single compounds. Achieving this requires extraction processes that retain the proportional profile of the original material, ensuring that the major and characteristic compound classes remain intact even if standardized to specific markers. Products where the mass or chemical profile is primarily composed of non-medicinal substrates, such as grain in mycelium fermented grain products, cannot be classified as full spectrum.

Some of the most important research being done right now is on development and validation of independent testing methods for fungi including the characterization of raw materials. Nammex is working with analytical labs and standards setting organizations to develop validated methods of analysis for identity, purity, and potency of fungal based ingredients.

“Consumers trust brands to deliver the benefits they pay for, and they deserve nothing less than absolute honesty in labeling,” Skye said. “True transparency is about ensuring that what’s on the label is exactly what’s in the bottle.”

Nammex filed a Citizen Petition requesting that the FDA take action to ensure dietary supplements and foods containing ingredients from fungi are properly labeled to identify the fungal part and list any included grain substrates. The petition made a strong case for FDA to correct ambiguity in the regulation and clarify that the requirement to list the “part” of ingredients that is applied to botanicals, along with the common or usual name, expressly applies to fungal ingredients.

About Nammex
Since 1989, Nammex has pioneered the cultivation of organic mushrooms and development of high-quality mushroom extracts to support consumer health and wellness. For over 30 years, Nammex has been a leader in advancing the scientific understanding of mushroom extracts and commercial use of scientifically validated analytical methods for quality control testing of fungal products.  Nammex’s mushroom extracts and concentrates are produced under rigorous quality standards, including growing mushrooms naturally using organic practices, processing the mushrooms following cGMP standards, QC testing in qualified laboratories, and yearly audits of farm and factory. Nammex founder and President Jeff Chilton has deep, longstanding relationships with China’s top researchers and growers of medicinal mushrooms and the current team is cultivating those into the future of the company. https://www.nammex.com/

Trade Press Contact:
Suzanne Shelton
+1 847-922-5454
[email protected]

Multiple Suppliers Join This Call for Accurate Labeling & Best Practices

Gibsons, BC, Canada (June 3, 2025) – Nammex, the premier North American supplier of Certified Organic Functional Mushroom Extracts, recently published an open access, peer reviewed research article, Comparative Study of Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) Dietary Supplements Using Complementary Analytical Techniques, in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Subsequently, a supplier of Inonotus mycelium fermented grain posted a response that raised concerns in the fungi community for several misrepresentations. The issues raised by this supplier, however, do not undermine the study’s conclusion that there are stark compositional differences between wildcrafted chaga and Inonotus mycelium fermented grain products.

In the Nammex study, the authors established a multi-analytical framework to identify authentic chaga canker and assess the quality of commercial dietary supplement products: “[a]uthentic chaga canker was characterized by high melanin content, a high β-glucan to α-glucan ratio, and unique triterpenoid and phenolic profiles. In contrast, Inonotus mycelium fermented grain products contained significant starch and α-glucans, lacked key triterpenoids, and exhibited metabolic profiles closely resembling their grain substrates rather than authentic chaga canker reference materials.”

These findings emphasize the need for rigorous analytical verification of fungal products in the marketplace to support truth-in-labeling. Authenticating fungal-based dietary supplements and detecting misrepresented products is facilitated by utilizing the critical chemical markers that distinguish wildcrafted chaga canker from both Inonotus mycelium fermented grain products and pure mycelium. As demonstrated by their vastly different chemical profiles, they are not the same thing. The analytical profile of Inonotus mycelium fermented oats is far more similar to oats than to the chaga canker. A simple, reliable starch analysis easily demonstrates this fact.

While Inonotus mycelium fermented grain products can be produced in a lab or indoors with relative speed using non-wood substrates, real chaga cultivation to produce the highly valued cankers that have been consumed for centuries begins with inoculation of birch trees, followed by years of waiting for cankers to form. Inonotus cannot produce chaga cankers without the host tree. In fairness to consumers and in the interest of scientific accuracy, sellers of Inonotus mycelium fermented grains need to acknowledge their products have a different identity than the chaga canker and label their products accordingly.

At a time when the functional mushroom market continues to rapidly expand, the Nammex team has provided clear, scientifically based definitions for fungal ingredients in dietary supplements. They are proud to be the industry leader in advancing the use of analytical testing to verify product quality and ensure accuracy and transparency in product labeling. We challenge all companies to do the same.

Additional suppliers of functional mushrooms and specifically authentic chaga canker, add their comments:

“The idea that chaga cankers can be grown on mycelium fermented oats is not true. The Nammex study represents a critical step forward in applying scientific methodology to differentiate authentic chaga cankers from imitation products. As stewards of consumer trust and scientific accuracy, we must insist on clear, evidence-based definitions, particularly in a growing market vulnerable to misrepresentation. The natural symbiosis between chaga and birch trees that occurs over many years cannot be achieved in a lab. Again, the Nammex study underscores the clear distinctions between true chaga and mycelium fermented grain products, distinctions that are critical for scientific accuracy and consumer trust. At KÄÄPÄ Biotech, we take pride in supporting research that promotes transparency and upholds the integrity of our industry. We invite our peers to join us in adopting rigorous analytical standards that reflect the true nature of these complex fungal organisms.”

– Eric Puro, CEO KAAPA Biotech /Nordic Mushrooms

“Chagit Products has managed a network of native-aligned chaga harvesters in Alaska, that operate in a traditional, sustainable manner to preserve the boreal birch forest, for over a decade. We have worked to educate the general public on the nature and benefits of real chaga, with a focus on ethical manufacturing and marketing of products made from chaga. There has been a lack of accountability shown by certain lab-cultivation producers in the functional mushroom space, to disseminate misinformation to the consumer that demonizes the real chaga harvested by native Alaskans and belittles their tribal traditions. The chaga conk which grows on birch trees as a result of the battle for life between tree and mushroom is a sacred root medicine for them, a gift from the Great Spirit and it bears no resemblance to the myceliated, fermented grain products that issue from a lab. To suggest that is an insult to the culture of Native Alaskans and Canadian First Nations peoples. True chaga only grows on trees of the north in various parts of the world and the tests that we have been fortunate to participate in, prove that case beyond a shadow of doubt.”

– Tulsy Ball, Co-founder, Chagit Products

About Nammex
Since 1989, Nammex has pioneered the cultivation of organic mushrooms and development of high-quality mushroom extracts to support consumer health and wellness. For over 30 years, Nammex has been a leader in advancing the scientific understanding of mushroom extracts and commercial use of scientifically validated analytical methods for quality control testing of fungal products.  Nammex’s mushroom extracts and concentrates are produced under rigorous quality standards, including growing mushrooms naturally using organic practices, processing the mushrooms following cGMP standards, QC testing in qualified laboratories, and yearly audits of farm and factory. Nammex founder and President Jeff Chilton has deep, longstanding relationships with China’s top researchers and growers of medicinal mushrooms and the current team is cultivating those into the future of the company. https://www.nammex.com/

Trade Press Contact:
Suzanne Shelton
+1 847-922-5454
[email protected]

The Certified Authentic Program is an innovative certification that assures the authenticity of qualifying products. Nammex has worked closely with the Purity-IQ team, leaders in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technologies, to earn the Certified Authentic Trustmark – a symbol that demonstrates that our products meet the highest standards of authenticity. For Nammex, participating in the Certified Authentic Program marks the next step in our 45-year commitment to delivering the highest quality mushroom extracts.

The Certified Authentic Trustmark signifies that products bearing this symbol are routinely tested for identity, purity, and consistency. This distinctive QR code provides access to detailed information about the tested ingredients, the analytical methodology, and brand information.

“Our customers’ products are only as good as the quality of their ingredients. Purity-IQ’s Certified Authentic Program is the next step in 45 years of assuring the highest quality mushroom extracts. I urge all of our customers to consider working with Purity-IQ so that we can maintain consistent standards throughout the supply chain. ”

– Skye Chilton | CEO

Did you know that not all mushroom supplements are created equal? Beta-glucans (β-glucans) are part of a host of powerful compounds that give functional mushrooms their unique and beneficial properties.

These natural compounds are found in mushrooms, yeasts, and certain grains – but mushrooms contain some of the most beneficial and thoroughly researched forms for your immune system. Think of β-glucans as your immune system’s personal trainers, helping to keep your natural defenses in top shape!

Let’s dig in

β-glucans are naturally occurring polysaccharides – complex carbohydrate molecules found in various natural sources including mushrooms, yeasts, seaweed, and certain grains like oats and barley. Think of them as building blocks that make up cell walls in these organisms, much like bricks form the structure of a building.

What makes mushroom beta-glucans special?

While β-glucans exist in many forms, mushroom β-glucans have unique structural characteristics that set them apart. The β-glucans found in mushrooms have a specific molecular structure that’s different from those found in other sources. For example, mushroom β-glucans typically have a branched structure with both 1,3 and 1,6 linkages, while oat β-glucans have a simpler linear structure with 1,3 and 1,4 linkages.

At Nammex, we’ve spent over four decades studying and analyzing β-glucans in mushrooms. Through our research and development program, we’ve validated specific testing methods to identify and measure these compounds in our extracts. This scientific approach allows us to ensure consistent quality and potency in our products. We continue to work on alternative methods of analysis for mushroom β-glucans through our partnership with Purity IQ utilizing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance technology.

Learn more about Purity-IQ‘s Mushroom β-Glucan Authentication and Quantification Using NMR Spectroscopy here.

The importance of testing

Not all mushroom products contain the same levels of β-glucans. This is why testing is crucial. Through our analytical program, we’ve established what we call the “Nammex mushroom testing fingerprint” which includes β-glucan testing as an integral part of the matrix. This testing ensures that when you choose a Nammex product, you’re getting mushroom extracts with verified β-glucan content in addition to other important fungal compounds such as ergothioneine and ergosterol and other species specific markers for quality and potency. The methods of qualification used by the Nammex Lab are now being integrated into commercial labs, and standard setting organizations. Nammex is engaged in collaborative validation and method transfer with these organizations to continue setting the bar for quality in the Mushroom category.

Why source matters

The source, growing conditions and post harvest handling of mushrooms can significantly impact their quality. Nammex’s products are born from the Chinese Tradition of mushroom cultivation and processing that dates back thousands of years with the advantage of the technological advances China has made through massive investment in their farmers and specialty crops. We focus entirely on mushrooms, allowing us to specialize in maximizing the presence of these beneficial compounds in our extracts and it is all under Organic Certification, at scale and runs like a well oiled machine.

Understanding beta-glucan testing

When evaluating mushroom products, it’s important to know that β-glucan content can vary significantly. Looking at the top 5 species for Nammex’s 1:1 extracts; Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Chaga, Cordyceps,and Turkey Tail there is a range of no less than 8mg/g for Chaga and Cordyceps. Lion’s Mane has 30mg/g. Reishi has a specification of no less than 35mg/g and Turkey Tail is NLT 45mg/g. Nammex has a tradition of collaboration with mushroom analytical sciences and has long worked with the company Megazyme who specializes in carbohydrate testing and science. Dr. Barry McCleary its founder has a seminal paper published in the Journal of the AOAC which is a must read and an independent analysis of  β-glucan in Mushrooms and Mycelium fermented Grain; Measurement of β-Glucan in Mushrooms and Mycelial Products . The Nammex Lab uses the Megazyme K-YBGL kit as do other third party labs to validate β-glucan content. Nammex goes a step further and also runs the AOAC Starch Test in tandem when analyzing commercial products to determine the amount of carrier or grain in non Mushroom products made from mycelium fermented grain. The alpha-glucan (α-glucan) results tend to follow the starch results with high amounts of alpha and starch in all mycelium fermented grain products yet low to no starch in true mushroom products with β-glucans percentages as noted above, quite high.

Looking to the future

As research continues to advance our understanding of β-glucans, we remain committed to maintaining the highest standards in mushroom extract production. Our ongoing research and development efforts help us stay at the forefront of mushroom science and analysis. We continue our work with NMR and Purity IQ to be able to strengthen the integrity of testing by adding more complimentary and fit for purpose methods.

Through our commitment to quality and scientific analysis, we continue to lead the way in understanding and properly identifying these fascinating compounds in mushroom products.

If you have any questions on the above info, please shoot us a direct message. We would be happy to help.

We’ve just returned from visiting our mushroom growers in China. People told us how much they appreciated reading about our trip there last December, so we wanted to share some details of our most recent journey.

We traveled to Inner Mongolia, a 6-hour drive from Daxing Airport. Daxing is currently the largest airport in the world, and 12% of its energy consumption is powered by Solar energy from Huawei FusionSolar Smart PV Solution. This 5.61 MWp project pioneered the application of clean energy in civil aviation. After grid connection, 6.1 GWh of green energy will be fed into the power grid annually, which equals to 1,900 tons of standard coal saving while offsetting 966 tons of CO2 and 14.5 tons of SO2 footprints every year.

Along the drive were far off mountain ranges that had a high desert feel. We arrived at the hotel for a Traditional Zither performance before dinner. All meals are typically served family style with the food arriving very quickly. One of the specialties in Inner Mongolia is BBQ. Healthy dishes of various vegetables, noodles, rice, meat, fish, and of course lots of mushrooms are all served in various ways. Each person helps themselves to what looks good as the food goes by, and the food never stops coming. If you remark on how tasty something is, magically, another whole dish of it appears in front of you.

Cordyceps Growers

When we arrived at one of our large Cordyceps growing locations, we garbed up in Tyvek sanitary suits and went through an airlock dust control chamber, then into the facility for a tour of operations. Workers were organized, and paid close attention to sanitation.

This facility had ozone water purification and reverse osmosis for water treatment. They primarily use wheat and rice substrates for producing these cordyceps mushrooms, with ours being solely grown on rice. A mixer and auto injector are used to add nutrient fortified water into the solid substrate in preparation for sterilization. The rice and water filled tubs spend 2.5 hours in an autoclave and then cool for 8 hours. After cooling, the substrate is inoculated with cordyceps mycelium, then incubated for 7 days. Once the substrate is colonized, it will spend 14 days in two different wavelengths of light spectrum. The mushrooms are then harvested. The total cultivation time is 50-75 days.

The mature mushrooms are harvested by hand. The cordyceps mushrooms are removed very easily from the substrate, so the harvest goes quite quickly. The mushrooms are immediately sorted, spread out on drying racks, and dried for 15 hours using forced hot air. The dried mushrooms are then packed and ready for shipment to our extraction facility.

For any mushroom grower, there’s always a focus on yields. More yield by time or input materials yields higher revenues but we balance this with making sure the quality stays high and for Cordyceps militaris, this means cordycepin content.

Strain selection and light conditions are the biggest factors for cordycepin, while always keeping a balance between yield and cordycepin content. This facility specializes in the optimization of cordycepin content through strain development and specialized growing techniques.. The facility has received several patents for their innovation, and their products have obtained numerous certifications for product quality and traceability.

Golden Oyster Mushroom Farm

An hour away from the cordyceps growing facility was an emerging specialty grower who had Golden Oyster (Pleurotus citrinopileatus) and Morel mushrooms under cultivation. These specialty crops offer the promise of more money for the farmer, consistent with China’s efforts to reduce poverty and build a monetarily stable middle class.

We were there for the final flush of Golden Oyster Mushroom at the tail end of its growing season. They were using the typical autoclavable bag shaped like a log. The sterilized substrate used for inoculation are corn stalks and wheat bran, which are cheap and readily available local biomass sources.

Golden Oyster mushrooms grow fast; from the start of a flush at pinning and buttons to full mushrooms is only three days. They recently installed new heaters in the grow house to control temperature along with a brand-new boiler for heat generation. After they are hand harvested, the mushrooms are transferred to a separate processing facility less than 1km away for trimming, sorting, and drying.

While most of our time was spent on farms, we did take time when the opportunity was presented for some historical appreciation.

Like most visitors to China, we organized a trip to the Great Wall of China. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall once stood as a northern barrier, safeguarding the capital and imperial tombs and is an older section of the wall built during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). The wall itself was awe inspiring and the pictures and even the best video footage fails to capture the millennia of history and human accomplishment. Photos can’t compare to putting your hand on a rock that was placed by another human over 1,000 years ago.

One theme we observed throughout the course of our recent visit to our mushroom growers in China was the emphasis on educating people in different aspects of the mushroom industry, from research to cultivation. With the recent efforts to lift more citizens out of poverty, the business of researching and growing quality mushrooms is being highlighted as a path to a better life. Because of China’s long history of medicinal use of functional mushrooms and the deep knowledge developed over centuries, this path to prosperity has significant appeal to many people beyond the financial motivation.

On this trip, in addition to the Cordyceps inspections we told you about last month, we checked on the Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) farms. Nammex has been collaborating on scaling up cultivation of this specialty crop for the last six years, and we’re pleased with the progress. The region, largely forested by mixed hardwood and pine species, is technically remote yet has a local population of over 800,000 counting all the smaller outlying villages servicing agroforestry forest production.

We finally met, in person, our master grower and his daughter-in-law, who oversee each farm manager. At 80 years old, our master grower has been cultivating mushrooms of various kinds for over 60 years. He holds several patents for his work on both processing equipment and certain strain developments. Due to much of his training and teachings over decades, the local area now produces hundreds of millions of mushroom logs of various species every year.

Turkey Tail mushroom has been used traditionally for immunomodulatory effects. Nammex has pioneered the production of this species and is the only supplier to offer a cultivated, certified organic source of this mushroom extract. As more consumers learn of its benefits, we expect demand to, at minimum, double over the coming years, thus our program to ensure that supply tracks demand. We continue to be impressed by the yields and quality of the finished product. Seeing the pride shown by the farmers in the work being done was also quite encouraging.

The first farm we toured has an annual production of 25 tons of dry Turkey Tail. The second farm we visited was a bit smaller than the first, with 20 grow houses producing about 12 tons of mushrooms annually. The final, third farm was much smaller but was working on their efficiency with 10 grow houses dedicated to Turkey Tail. Overall, we are looking at about 60-80 tons of dried turkey tail mushrooms this year, over double last year’s output. Ideally, we would like to get to over 200 tons annually, which should be attainable in the next 2-3 years. Our master grower still believes there’s additional optimization in the growing conditions to increase yield and reduce waste.

All the mushrooms were solar dried on the farm prior to storage for shipping to our extraction facility. The Turkey Tail is grown on local birch sawdust fortified with wheat bran, another local byproduct. All of these farms also grow wood ear mushrooms, one of the most popular species in China for food consumption, as one of their primary sources of income. These are organically grown, and the farmers rely solely on proper sterile technique and natural climate conditions in order to grow the best mushrooms.

Every farm we visited demonstrated a commitment to good agricultural practices, but his attention to even the smallest detail most people would not notice clearly displayed his passion and reverence for mushroom growing.

One hotel we lodged in during this trip had an herbal shop with large chunks of local Chaga and other mushrooms for sale, mostly polypores. They also had locally harvested 10+ year old Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer roots, individually packaged in red satin to display the human shaped thick roots with well-preserved terminal ends at a thread’s width. It takes time and care to harvest a large tendrilled root in its whole form, like an archeological dig to preserve the integrity of the artifact. We see this depth of care for traditional medicines in China time and time again. This attention to detail and dedication to quality are why Nammex has partnered with growers in China since our founding in 1989.

In early December my brother Adam and I traveled to China on one of our customary visits to farms that grow our mushrooms and the facilities that process Nammex organic mushroom extracts. China has such a long history of growing and using mushrooms both for food and medicine, and it’s always inspiring to see how much care goes into growing and handling them. China is such a fascinating place to visit.

We noticed upon our arrival in Shanghai how quiet the airport was, particularly compared to Seoul. This confirms what we heard from industry colleagues, who reported that travel to China is about 10% of what it was before Covid. It was a dramatic change since our last visit in 2019. We then took one of China’s many high-speed trains, with speeds up to 330km/h, to southwestern Zhejiang province to visit our exclusive manufacturing partner’s brand new extraction factory that came online during Covid.

This state-of-art, organic, GMP facility meets all the necessary US regulations and is 3rd party audited every year. The facility has numerous extraction tanks and spray dryers that process thousands of kilos of dried mushrooms in storage here. There’s a fully staffed quality control team with their own floor where they’re able to run all the necessary tests to make sure our products meet specifications before leaving China. There are also solar panels on the roof that offset energy consumption, and power air conditioning in the hot summer months. Because demand for Nammex ingredients has grown massively, we work closely with our partners on raw material planning and finished extract projections to ensure that we can meet future growth. The current capacity can handle 500,000 kilos of extract powder a year, with multiple dried mushroom storage facilities nearby and land next door for future expansion.

The next day we were off to Qingyuan County, one of China’s 17 key regions of global significance for biodiversity. For hundreds of years local residents have made thoughtful use of forest resources to cultivate mushrooms. They have developed an agroforestry system with mushroom and forest co-culture methods. The traditional knowledge and techniques were developed over centuries by “Gumin”, which is the name for farmers who cultivate mushrooms by integrating forest conservation and agricultural production while following the best aspects of ecological agriculture. The main focus is quality and sustainability. Qingyuan County produces around 20% of China’s mushrooms, employing over 70,000 people, and creating about one billion USD in economic output annually. If you would like to learn more about this area, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has a good article.

Our first stop was to visit a farm that grows wood ear mushrooms (Auricularia heimuer). While this is a mushroom we do not currently sell, it is one of the most popular edible mushrooms in the world and does have functional benefits backed by extensive research. As with all our partners in China, their understanding of what these fungi need to grow into the high-quality mushrooms we require was remarkable. This farm was impressive in their attention to detail required for a robust harvest of quality mushrooms, quite similar to others we’ve seen in the past. It’s very common to put the colonized wood ear logs in the rice fields after the rice harvest, essentially performing crop rotations.

One of our nearby shiitake growers is also in this wooded, hilly rural area. They produce 12,000 kilos of fresh mushrooms from 1.3 acres, with a dozen or so people unwrapping the logs ready to fruit, picking mushrooms off the sawdust logs, trimming them, and laying them out to dry. After our time there, it was entirely appropriate to visit the Shiitake Temple, a place of worship for Wu Sangong, the first person to figure out how to cultivate shiitake mushrooms over 800 years ago. The temple, which was first built in 1265, holds a ceremony honoring him every July. Right next to the Shiitake Temple is one of Qingyuan’s famous wooden bridges. Both Zhejiang and Fujian provinces are very famous for their wooden bridges. Many are protected natural heritage sites.

From there we traveled to the Qingyuan Mushroom Market, which is the largest mushroom market in China. For people as obsessed with mushrooms as we are, this was an incredible place to walk around. This is probably a good time to share that on this trip we ate mushrooms every day at every meal, and ate over a dozen different wild and cultivated mushroom species, possibly more.

The next day we continued back into the mountains of Fujian province to Gutian County to visit the lion’s mane farms. While confirming quality and sustainability is always part of our purpose, we also wanted to check on scalability for this ingredient that is growing in popularity so fast. Nammex currently has over 3 million lion’s mane logs in production, across many different farms. One farm we toured had 80,000 logs growing. After harvesting, the spent sawdust logs are dried and used as fuel to power the mushroom dehydrators.

December 7th we focused on tremella. While touring one farm with 60,000 logs growing this mushroom, we noticed that the mycelium is a distinctive black color. The temperature and humidity are closely controlled, as this mushroom does better in very high humidity. Nearby, we also saw nameko mushroom (Pholiota microsprora), which we hadn’t seen in cultivation before.

The following day we moved on to cordyceps. These mushrooms need approximately 80 days from inoculation to harvest. Temperature and humidity in these grow rooms are tightly controlled, and the mushrooms are guided to maturity by LED lights.

Our next stop was in Songyang at a local government funded mushroom research institute. They have over 200 different lion’s mane strains in production to look for unique characteristics, and more than 100 strains of shiitake in cultivation. We also stopped in to see a tea R&D farm with over 10,000 tea plants growing. The day was rounded out by a stop in the ancient villages in Songyang, which were first built around 1655 and today house approximately 300 people.

An interesting fact we picked up along the way is that over 100,000 kilos of cultivated caterpillar fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) is being produced today, although it has yet to bring the price of the wild version down.

On our final day we were back on the train to Shanghai, to spend time with our friend Professor Edward Yang, whose father invented PSP (Polysaccharide Peptide). PSP is a turkey tail mycelium extract which is produced through liquid fermentation and further purification. The end product is approved by the Chinese government as a drug. We’re bonded by being the sons of men whose lives have been devoted to making the benefits of mushrooms more accessible to people.

While the main purpose of our trip was to confirm the high quality we expect and continued supply of our ingredients as demand for Nammex products grows, the long history of reverence and dedication to mushrooms is inspiration we draw from, every day.

– Skye Chilton, CEO, Nammex