Call for comment on mushroom chitosan as a preservative

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.

FSANZ’s 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.

Submissions close at 11.59 pm AEST on 6 May 2025.

For more information or to make a submission, click here.

Image credit: iStock.com/Douglas Rissing