Scelta vitamin D mushrooms attain novel food status

30 Jul 2018 --- Scelta Mushrooms has received novel food status for its Scelta vitamin D mushrooms from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), following the company’s development of a method to access the naturally available vitamin D2 in mushrooms.

“The news has given us the green light to enrich all the mushrooms we process with vitamin D. We decided to introduce this on our Ecopouch product first which is primarily sold to Food Service. Next, we will roll out the UVB-light treatment to our other plants and products. Mushrooms and mushroom products are eaten in many different ways making it a great source of vitamin D,” Roy Janssen, Marketing Manager at Scelta Mushrooms, tells NutritionInsight.

Mushrooms contain a provitamin called ergosterol which can be converted into vitamin D2 under the influence of UVB light, a facet of natural sunlight. The mushroom then converts this into vitamin D2 all by itself, with no products added artificially. However, white button mushrooms are usually grown indoors and therefore tend not to receive any UVB light.

Scelta Mushrooms use a controlled light treatment during the production process in order to make the vitamin D2 available. The exact amount of vitamin D2 released is regulated because the process is both controlled and checked, the company reports.

Because growing white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) happens inside and therefore in the dark, they do not receive any sunlight (UVB). That’s why a UVB controlled light treatment during the production process is applied to make the vitamin D2 available. The exact amount of vitamin D2 released is regulated because the process is both controlled and checked. 

In 2014, Scelta Mushrooms began research on releasing naturally available vitamin D2 in mushrooms. From the recently built Scelta Essenza factory in Venlo, The Netherlands, the organization now has the official green light to service its customers. Moving forward, partners in over 70 countries will get high vitamin D mushrooms. This development, the company states, is entirely in line with its mission to strive for a healthier and more nutritious future.

“We see global trends in sustainability, health, functional food and convenience. In more depth, we see more plant-based diets, less salt consumption, alternative protein sources, clean label and zero food waste. Also, the way we have access to food changes rapidly. We take these trends into account when developing new products and solutions for our customers. We have a few more projects coming to a finish in the upcoming months which answer the changing market demand,” Janssen explains.

Although the vitamin D technique will only apply to the white button mushrooms, the company is looking into expanding the range which could include mushrooms powders and dried mushrooms.

Vitamin D mushrooms
Vitamin D is one of the few vitamins that the body produces itself, under the influence of sunlight on the skin. When the sun’s strength decreases, or if the body is exposed to too little sunlight, the body fails to produce enough vitamin D. This can lead to impaired immunity, weaker bones and other health problems. The deficiency can be made up with vitamin D mushrooms, supplements or other foods such as oily fish, meat or eggs. 

Notably, Dutch mushroom supplier Banken Champignons also received a green light from the EFSA earlier this year for its vitamin D mushrooms, which also utilize a process where natural light is mimicked. Cambridge Commodities offers VitaShroom D, a mushroom-based vitamin D powder, suitable for use in tablets, capsules, powder blends, drinks and food.