White Mushrooms

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Ingredients

Chinova Bioworks’ “Game-Changing” Mushroom Preservative Now Approved at Whole Foods Market

Food tech startup Chinova Bioworks announces its clean-label food preservative Chiber™ has become the first mushroom fiber to join Whole Foods Market’s approved ingredient list. Made from upcycled white button mushrooms, Chiber is a natural, eco-friendly extract that extends the shelf-life of a wide variety of food and beverages. As America’s largest natural food retailer, Whole Foods Market runs a rigorous “Quality Standards” program that ensures every ingredient that appears in its stores meets the company’s standards for health and safety.  Following a thorough application process, Chinova reports it received “overwhelmingly” positive feedback from the Whole Foods review team, and the ingredient now features in five listings: Chiber, Mushroom Fiber, Mushroom Derived Fiber, White Button Mushroom Fiber, and White Button Mushroom Derived Fiber. “Whole Foods …

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Chinova Bioworks beer

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Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

Chinova Bioworks Develops “Game Changing” Vegan Fining Agent Made From Mushrooms

Chinova Bioworks, a Canadian company using fungi to reduce food waste, announces the launch of Mycobrio™ — a mushroom-derived fining agent which can replace synthetic and animal-derived fining agents such as isinglass and gelatin, traditionally used in fermented drinks such as beers and wines. Mycobrio™ is described as a natural extract fiber derived from the stems of white button mushrooms, which serves as a fining agent for the alcoholic and low/non-alcoholic wine, beer, cider, seltzer, and spirits market, and as broad spectrum protection against spoilage caused by yeast, mold, and bacteria. Removing animal ingredients from beverages The newly developed ingredient can be used in the fining of yeast, tannins, proteins, and other matter from beer, wine, cider, and seltzers. It is an advanced natural replacement …

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Chinova Bioworks Chiber Yogurt Preservative

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Ingredients

Chinova Bioworks’ Chiber Mushroom Preservative Receives FDA GRAS Status

Canadian food tech startup Chinova Bioworks has received a No Questions Letter from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) application for Chiber Mushroom Fiber. The letter indicates the ingredient is now permitted for use in food applications.  Acting as a natural food and beverage preservative, Chiber is derived from the upcycled stems of white button mushrooms. According to Chinova, it can improve the quality, freshness and shelf-life of many food and beverage products including plant-based meats, baked goods, hummus and dairy-free yogurt.  Prior to receiving the No Questions letter, Chinova worked with an independent panel of scientists and consulted with Intertek, a top quality assurance and testing provider, to develop and implement the testing needed for its …

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Chinova Bioworks

Co-founders David Brown and Natasha Dhayagude ©Chinova Bioworks

Investments & Finance

Chinova Closes $6M Series A to Expand Chiber – A Novel Preservative Made from Upcycled Mushrooms

Canadian food tech startup Chinova Bioworks announces it has secured $6M in Series A funding to expand production of Chiber™– a novel clean-label preservative extracted from mushrooms. The funding will also be used to grow Chinova’s team, create new products and enhance its production capabilities on Prince Edward Island.  Derived from the stems of upcycled white mushrooms, Chiber is a natural, allergen-free fiber that helps improve the quality, freshness and shelf-life of a wide variety of foods. It can be incorporated into plant-based meats and dairy, as well as baked goods, beverages and sauces, the company states. In the application of dairy-free yogurt, the startup says Chiber is the first clean-label ingredient that protects probiotic cultures and inhibits spoilage. Reducing waste To source its mushrooms, …

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Chinova Bioworks beer

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Food & Beverage

Canada: Chinova Bioworks is Researching Vegan Beer Based on Mushroom Technology

Chinova Bioworks recently launched a research initiative with the INNOV Centre at College Communautaire du Nouveau Brunswick (CCNB), supported by the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation’s Innovation Voucher Fund, to develop a new processing aid for vegan beers. Chinova is leveraging its expertise in “clean label” ingredients at CCNB’s Grand Falls campus, which has been developing brewing and distilling technologies for years. The research project aims to develop a new application for Chinova’s proprietary white fungal fibre, Chiber, as a fast fining agent for brewers. The initiative comes at a time when many breweries are switching to vegan practices to meet consumer demand for healthier and more sustainable products. Many brewed beers and other alcoholic beverages contain animal-based compounds that are added during the production process. …

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