Published
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application to permit the use of a preservative derived from mushrooms.
Chitosan is a substance with antimicrobial properties found in the shells of crustaceans and cell walls of fungi.
The application seeks approval to use mushroom chitosan, extracted from white button mushrooms, as a preservative in food and beverage products.
Our safety assessment found no public health or safety concerns with the proposed use of mushroom chitosan. It is approved for use in other countries including the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea.
If mushroom chitosan is included in a food product, it must be declared on the label as ‘preservative’ with the term ‘mushroom chitosan’ in brackets.
To have your say about this application, visit the FSANZ Consultation Hub. Submissions close at 11.59pm (AEST) 6 May 2025.
What happens to my feedback?
FSANZ will consider all feedback received through this submission process before deciding on whether to approve the application.
Submissions will be published to our website as soon as possible at the end of the public comment period.
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