FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA — Chinova Bioworks is aiding beverage manufacturers with the development of MycoKleer, a fining agent derived from the upcycled stems of white button mushrooms.

MycoKleer aids the beverage industry by naturally clarifying beverages, according to the company.

“MycoKleer is a natural fining agent that can bind onto those particles and make them heavy and allow them to form and settle at the bottom of the tank or a bottle and then makes it easy for the beverage producer to get rid of the sediment and have a nice clear beverage,” said David Brown, chief operating officer, Chinova Bioworks.

Chinova Bioworks aims at providing food and beverage companies with sustainable solutions.

“We care a lot about sustainable products that are going to solve problems that the world and food and beverage industry faces; we think MycoKleer is another great step forward for another sustainable natural ingredient,” Mr. Brown said.

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The fining agent primarily is used in the alcohol beverage industry but also may be used for such beverages as juices, teas, and coffee.

“We’re working with some other beverage producers making juices where they want a juice with less pulp or making a cold-brew coffee and they want some of the little gritty sediments out of the coffee,” Mr. Brown said.

Chinova Bioworks is positioning MycoKleer as a better-for-you option.

“The beverage company, if given the choice, would rather have a vegan ingredient especially opposed to something that’s petroleum derived,” Mr. Brown said. “Beer brewers care a lot about what they use to make their beers, they’re very passionate about it.”  

MycoKleer is based off the company’s main product Chiber. Chiber is a mushroom extract fiber derived from the stems of white button mushrooms. Chiber may improve quality, freshness and shelf-life of food and beverages, according to the company.

“We know a lot about this fiber from white button mushrooms; we’ve worked with it a lot over the last seven years and understand how it works,” Mr. Brown said.

Mr. Brown noted the company has additional innovations on the horizon.

“We’ve become a mushroom focused company, so there’s so much more that we can do with the plain old white button mushroom,” he said. “We’re looking at different new functional ingredients that we could launch some of them maybe early next year.”