Kääpä Biotech, a European functional mushroom specialist, recently published a white paper called “Beyond Beta Glucans,” which calls on the industry to utilize new quality markers for measuring efficacy and assuring quality of functional mushroom products.

Many quality assessments used in today’s market fall short of offering insight into the full scope of functional properties and health benefits of a given product. Measuring specific bioactive compounds, like hericenones, hericenes, cordycepin, triterpenes, inotodiol, and betulinic acid, should be considered fundamental.

The white paper outlines how these unique bioactive compounds found in various mushroom species are the primary contributors to health-promoting effects, and why the correct dosage of these compounds matters for product efficacy. Kääpä Biotech notes that these quality markers should be assessed at the ingredient and batch-specific level.

“Kääpä Biotech is continuously focusing on aligning innovation with consumer needs,” said Eric Puro, CEO and co-founder. “There is a clear and accelerating shift in market demand toward quantifiable bioactive compounds, and the focus is now moving beyond the outdated reliance on beta-glucan content as the sole marker of product quality … with the launch of ‘Beyond Beta Glucans,’ our objective is to guide the industry to evolve toward a more accurate, bioactive-based measurement standard. Our new white paper and the accompanying specification sheet standardization represent a critical step in ensuring that product quality markers are directly aligned with the actual reasons consumers are purchasing functional mushroom products.”

In April, Kääpä Biotech secured € 900,000 from the agri-food fund PeakBridge, a member of the Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity partnership, which supports a major expansion of operations to meet the increasing demand for European functional mushroom ingredients.

In May, the European Food Safety Authority granted formal approval to the company’s NordRelease traditional water extraction process, confirming its extracts are considered non-novel food under EU food law.

The company also recently inaugurated a cultivation facility in Paimmio, Finland, outfitted with technology to optimize the production of bioactive-rich mushroom fruiting bodies.

“The EFSA approval of the NordRelease extraction process and the investment from PeakBridge support Kääpä Biotech to lead the change within the functional mushroom industry, delivering transparency, scientific rigor, and trusted efficacy in every batch,” Puro said.