Formulating With Functional Mushrooms: What Extraction and Dose Mean for Beverages and Foods

Panelists at SupplySide Global 2026 discussed how functional mushrooms are extending from supplements into beverages and foods, and what that means for formulators’ choices on species, extraction, dose, and claims. The session was moderated by Scott Miller, senior staff writer at SupplySide Food & Beverage Journal and featured Julie Daoust, chair of the Functional Mushroom Council; Andrea Bleikamp, brand strategist at MarketPlace Branding; and Brian Chau, principal food scientist at Chau Time.

Who Is Buying Functional Mushrooms?

Bleikamp presented MarketPlace Branding's proprietary survey data: of US adults surveyed, 42% were trying to include at least one named mushroom variety in their nutrition, but only 7% selected the broader category of functional mushrooms, suggesting many consumers do not link varieties such as lion’s mane or reishi to that category. She said these consumers were about twice as likely to have stopped shopping at a store that no longer matched their values and to use apps or websites to track their health. Only 3.5% reported seeking no motivational need state, and many were also interested in ingredients such as complex B vitamins and creatine, which she said could support co-formulation.

Which Formats Are Gaining Ground?

Bleikamp said this audience favored mixable and drinkable formats over pills and capsules. She described a typical path for novel ingredients: they start in supplements, which have shorter development cycles, then move to beverages, where dispersibility and solubility complicate ready-to-drink formulation, but benefit can differentiate and lower the barrier for a consumer to trial a sample. Foods come last, with the ingredient as a supporting attribute behind the purchase rather than the main driver. As an opportunity for adding functional mushrooms, Bleikamp noted that respondents named prepared foods and meals as top categories for because they fit existing routines.

How Do Extraction and Plant Part Affect Formulation?

Daoust said formulators should start with the benefit sought, which guides species choice, and then whether to use an extract or whole powder. Whole mushroom powders are dried and milled and retain the full compound spectrum, including prebiotic fiber. Hot water extracts tend to be richer in beta-glucan, dual extracts capture both alcohol- and water-soluble compounds, and fermented ingredients may offer more neutral taste for foods.

On fruiting body versus mycelium, she said research exists on both and the more relevant factors are substrate quality, traceability, efficacy, and substantiation. Chau said specification sheets and growing methods inform labeling and claims.

What Dose and Stability Issues Apply?

Daoust said whole powders are typically dosed at the gram level and extracts nearer half a gram, and that higher doses suit products meant to contribute fiber. She noted that some lion's mane diterpenes are heat sensitive and affected by solvent choice, while beta-glucans and chitin are heat stable enough for baking, and beverages generally hold up through UHT processing. Chau said milling fineness affects sensory quality in applications such as chocolate, and that formulators should work backward from the end product and its commercial feasibility.

What Should Brands Tell Consumers?

Bleikamp said consumers recognize named varieties more readily than "functional mushrooms" or "adaptogens," and recommended naming the variety, stating dose, using specific but measured benefit wording, and noting sourcing region or part of the mushroom. She said supplement trust rests on clinical studies and medical recommendations, while functional food trust relies more on familiar brands and formats.

In closing, Daoust cited clinical research indicating mushroom polysaccharides are better tolerated than inulin, relevant to fiber interest tied to GLP-1 use. Chau pointed to food-as-medicine opportunities and a need for research on standardization and shelf life.