Functional Mushroom Council Members Invest in Scale, Formulation Flexibility

Functional Mushroom Council members spent Q3 of this year building capacity and product pipelines for their next phases of growth. Members are investing in scaling and formulation flexibility, making it easier for brands to bring mushroom-powered products to market across more categories, including pet wellness.

The Functional Mushroom Council was established in October of 2025 as a nonprofit representing the functional mushroom industry in North America.

Monterey Nutra Doubles Facility Footprint and Expands Commercial Leadership

Monterey Nutra announced a major expansion of its Watsonville, CA operations, doubling its manufacturing footprint and production capacity, and added two industry experts to its commercial leadership team. The expansion increases capacity across every stage of the company’s vertically integrated operation, from genetics and cultivation through finished ingredient production, and increases availability across its portfolio, including MycoPure dual extract powders, full spectrum powders, and ManeFocus.

“There is a persistent misconception that a U.S. grower cannot keep up with overseas capacity,” said Amir Karian, vice president of nutraceuticals at Monterey Nutra. “We’ve consistently met our customers’ demand, and this expansion ensures we can continue to do so as the market grows. Our partners should never have to choose between the quality and traceability of U.S.-grown ingredients and the scale their business requires.”

The company appointed Michal Sochor as director of sales, food and beverage, and Bobby Chadha as director of sales for supplements, sports nutrition, and pet. Sochor brings more than a decade of experience helping brands develop functional food and beverage products using specialty ingredients, while Chadha brings more than 12 years spanning ingredient science, contract manufacturing and retail commercialization. The expansion also reinforces the company’s sustainability initiatives through efficient energy systems, renewable U.S.-sourced substrates and a vertically integrated domestic supply chain that maintains traceability from DNA to delivery.

Fungi Perfecti’s Host Defense Enters the Pet Category

Fungi Perfecti, makers of Host Defense Mushrooms supplements, entered the pet category with the launch of Immune & Whole-Body Support, a daily mycelium powder formulated for dogs and cats.

The blend features mycelium from lion’s mane, reishi, turkey tail, chaga, and maitake, formulated to support healthy immune function, cellular health, and overall well-being in pets. The mycelium is cultivated on Host Defense’s farm within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, and the daily powder is suitable for pets of all ages.

Aloha Medicinals Launches FungiFuse Portfolio

Aloha Medicinals has launched FungiFuse, a new portfolio of functional mushroom solutions designed to help brands formulate finished products without compromising taste, color, or mouthfeel.

The initial launch includes four targeted blends:

• Focus, featuring lion’s mane, cordyceps and chaga, formulated to support mental clarity, cognitive performance and concentration;
• Energy, a blend of cordyceps, shiitake and lion’s mane designed to promote clean, sustained energy and focus without the crash of traditional stimulants;
• Daily, a comprehensive seven-mushroom blend rich in beta-glucans to support immune function, overall wellness and daily balance;
• Relax, which combines reishi, maitake and turkey tail to support relaxation, stress balance and restorative recovery.

FungiFuse ingredients feature a neutral flavor profile, high solubility and full-spectrum functionality. All are available in organic and non-GMO options, use DNA-verified mushroom ingredients, and contain no carriers or fillers. Alongside its core blends, Aloha offers custom formulations and single-strain mushroom ingredients to meet specific product development goals.

Om Mushrooms Releases Focus Coffee Booster

Later this month, Om Mushrooms will launch Focus+ Coffee Booster, a new approach to functional coffee that lets consumers keep the coffee they already love and add mushrooms to it. Unlike instant mushroom coffees, Om Coffee Booster is added directly to ground coffee before brewing, with a high potency of mushroom bioactives passing through the coffee filter. It features Om’s M2 Lion’s Mane 102 to support memory, mental clarity, and cognitive health without changing the taste of coffee.