Gibsons, BC, Canada–North American Reishi Ltd (Nammex) announced that the company has has received an interim response from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to a Citizen Petition filed by the company in June. As WholeFoods Magazine has reported, Nammex requested that FDA  "address the mislabeling of dietary supplements and functional foods as 'mushroom' or containing 'mushrooms' when they contain other fungal parts, and do not contain 'mushrooms' as claimed, or fail to disclose added grain ingredients."

"The FDA has 180 days to respond to this type of Citizen Petition and may approve, deny, or dismiss the petition, or provide an interim response indicating why the agency has not reached a decision, which is often due to competing agency priorities,” said Nammex’s regulatory counsel, Holly Bayne of the Law Office of Bayne & Associates, in a press release. “We are pleased that FDA staff within the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs are continuing to evaluate the petition.”  

Skye Chilton, CEO of Nammex, added, "We understand that the agency has its hands full with the reorganization of the Human Foods Program and look forward to further engagement with FDA and a positive decision in 2024, especially given the rapid growth of the mushroom product category. As a recent survey of 10,000 people on mushroom terminology we commissioned showed, the vast majority of consumers have a very clear understanding of what constitutes a mushroom, and it’s the cap (and stem), not myceliated grain.”
 

Background: Nammex Files Citizen Petition Requesting FDA Actions on Mushroom Product Labeling; Fungi Brands React

Nammex Surveys Consumers on Mushroom Terminology