Kerrville, TX, Aug. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Food Sciences Inc. (AFS) is pleased to announce its equity investment and partnership with KÄÄPÄ Biotech, a Finland-based company specializing in fungi cultivation and research. With the functional mushroom market proliferating, AFS recognizes the need to collaborate with a partner dedicated to mycology and to supply the best quality ingredients for product formulators.
"We felt that we could strategically add value to KÄÄPÄ's unique functional mushroom supply chain," explains Loretta Zapp, CEO of AFS. "We are working on enhancing functionality as well as bringing greater awareness and access to the market."
This strategic partnership will expand AFS' primarily botanical portfolio with the addition of Nordic grown, functional mushroom extracts for use in food, beverages, and supplements. The launch will include six organic powdered mushroom extracts: Lion's Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps, Chaga, Shiitake, and Maitake. Each species naturally contains a variety of adaptogenic, antioxidant, nootropic, or other benefits, in line with AFS' commitment to innovating functional, organic ingredients.
Nordic Grown Mushrooms
The mushrooms are grown and cultivated at KÄÄPÄ Biotech in Finland, whose award-winning mycological technology and sustainable practices distinguish them from other suppliers. The extracts are made from mushroom fruiting bodies, free from excipients and grain fillers, and standardized to primary active compounds for optimal bioavailability. Finland is also one of the best places in the world to grow clean, healthy mushrooms.
"Finland has the cleanest air and cleanest water ever measured in the world," says Eric Puro, CEO and Co-Founder of KÄÄPÄ Biotech. "Mushrooms are strong bio-accumulators, so when we grow them, it's very important that their environment is clean." Puro explains that the quality of growing conditions has been a major issue in the market.
KÄÄPÄ Biotech is proud to grow its organic mushrooms using local birch wood, the national tree in Finland, instead of more common grain alternatives. Chaga overharvesting is another specific concern in the industry, but KÄÄPÄ Biotech adheres to Finland's strict regulations through progressive sustainability initiatives. By sourcing from its own managed forests near the Arctic Circle, it has responsibly become the world's largest supplier of wild-grown chaga.
Transparency in Quality and Safety
AFS is working with KÄÄPÄ to supply mushroom ingredients that are USDA-certified organic, GRAS for safe use in approved food and beverage applications, and third-party tested for purity, ensuring they are free from contaminants and pathogens while improving validation methods.
Zapp says, "Testing with third-party labs is key to many of our customers. Building trust starts with verifying the product's safety, efficacy, and purity. In addition to quality, a lot of the allure for AFS to KÄÄPÄ is their transparency and ability to tell the whole story."
KÄÄPÄ Biotech takes pride in being able to trace every mushroom from spore to extract. Puro says, "The closer we can get to full transparency, the better we're all going to be. Everything we do, we want to share with our customers." Transparency has become increasingly important to the health-conscious market. Now more than ever, consumers take time to read product labels and compare based on benefits, brand credibility, and sustainable business practices, among other variants.
"When we started our company more than 20 years ago, we wanted to focus on specialized organic ingredients grown with care and attention to quality," Zapp explains. "That's why I think we fit so well together with KÄÄPÄ. When our partner aligns with that mission, everyone from the wild mushroom forager to the end consumer will benefit."
About Applied Food Sciences
For over 20 years, Applied Food Sciences (AFS) has brought inspiration and innovation to functional ingredients for companies in the natural products industry. Quality is transparent through organic farming, ethical sourcing, and sustainability. AFS cares about every stakeholder, from rural farmers to the largest companies in the world.
About KÄÄPÄ Biotech
KÄÄPÄ Biotech is a Finnish-based biotechnology company with expertise in scalable, novel fungal applications for taking a wide range of mycological solutions to market.
Attachments
- Applied Food Sciences Partners With KÄÄPÄ Biotech to Sell Nordic Functional Mushrooms
- Organic Reishi Mushroom and Extract Powder Pile
