Chinova Bioworks Chiber Yogurt Preservative

©Chinova Bioworks

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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