In our previous newsletter, we looked at extraction ratios and extraction methods. What do numbers like 8:1 or 10:1 actually tell you? And more importantly: what do they not tell you? We promised to take a closer look at another number that appears just as often on labels: polysaccharides. A familiar term, but one that is rarely explained properly.
Today, we take the time to do exactly that.
The polysaccharide misconception
Just like extraction ratios, a number without context says very little. A high polysaccharide content sounds logically positive and sometimes it is. But without explanation, it often remains little more than a marketing number.
Why? Because “polysaccharides” are not a single compound. They are a collective term. This group includes beta-glucans, the compounds that often sit at the heart of discussions about mushrooms. At the same time, a total polysaccharide value can also increase due to other carbohydrates, without saying anything meaningful about the quality of the extract itself.
And this is where things often go wrong.
Some products on the market are (partly) made from mycelium grown on grain. Mycelium is the growth network of the mushroom and can be perfectly fine, but in this case it grows in and on the grain itself. That grain is not something separate from the final product, it is part of the whole. You cannot simply “clean” the mycelium and remove all starches and polysaccharides; in practice, they remain part of what is ultimately measured.
If you then only measure total polysaccharides, a high number often says more about the substrate (the grain) than about the mushroom itself. That is why we deliberately work with the fruiting body: the mushroom as you know it. Our aim is to retain as much as possible of its natural, active compounds.
And then the question of price naturally follows
Once you understand how extraction, polysaccharides and context relate to each other, something else becomes clear as well: why some products are strikingly cheap, while others are not.
We regularly see 100 ml of extract offered for roughly the same price as 30 ml elsewhere. To be honest, that’s when alarm bells start ringing for us. High-quality mushrooms, fruiting-body extraction, multiple extraction steps, a high extraction ratio and batch consistency simply do not align with dump prices. That does not mean that inexpensive products are automatically bad.
But large price differences without explanation are always a reason to take a closer look.
Three questions that help you look beyond the label
When you look at a mushroom product, these three questions almost always help — even if the answers are not found on the label itself, but require a look at the producer’s website:
1. Is it made from the fruiting body or from mycelium grown on grain?
2. Are beta-glucans specified, or only “polysaccharides” as a total?
3. Which extraction methods are used, and how is the extraction ratio explained?
The only proof that really matters
This brings us to the core question. If attractive labels, ratios and isolated percentages are not enough, what does prove quality? The honest answer is simple: lab results. Labels can promise many things, but an analysis shows what is actually present.
That is why two things guide everything we do at Foodsporen: quality and transparency. Anyone who wants to see our lab results can simply request them. No detours, no hesitation.
And of course, beyond numbers and analyses, there is also everyday experience. Quality is not something you only read about. You feel it.
We are genuinely excited to see mushrooms becoming a normal part of everyday life. Precisely because of that, we believe it is important to share knowledge and offer clarity — so you can learn to recognize quality for yourself, independent of brand, packaging or promise. The better you understand what you are looking at, the more consciously you can choose what truly fits you.
We like to close, once again, with a bit of fungi wisdom:
“Fungi teach us that real value is built quietly, underground, long before you see the fruit.”
Thank you for reading 🍄
Team Foodsporen