20
3. Codex Alimentarius Commission – Dietary fiber means carbohydrate polymers
with ≥10 monomeric units, which are not hydrolyzed by the endogenous
enzymes in the small intestine of humans (Codex Alimentarius Commission 2009).
2.2 Introduction
Fungi are ideal food because they have a fairly high content of protein (typically
20–30% dry matter as crude protein) which contains all of the essential amino acids
essential to human and animal nutrition. Fungal biomass is also a source of dietary
fiber, free of cholesterol.
Mushrooms are the main examples of fungal production of dietary fibers that are
cultivated around the world, their global annual production being in the region of
8 million metric tonnes.
China is largest producer of mushrooms, nearly 60% of the world’s mushrooms.
Supplies of fresh mushrooms are now intercontinental goods. The only successful
fermenter-grown fungal food on the market is the mycoprotein Quorn, the mycelium of a species of Fusarium. In marketing the material, its ability to simulate the
fibrous nature of meat is emphasized and it is sold as a healthy alternative to meat.
A large-scale collection of mushrooms for food has become an industry in many
regions and the commercial picking industry is bound to continue to expand.
However, it raises several issues, including conservation, ownership, and sustainability of supplies. The key reaction seems to be effective holistic management of
the forest resource (Moore and Chiu 2001). Dietary fiber is a mixture of plant carbohydrate polymers, consisting of polysaccharides and oligosaccharides, as well as
hemicelluloses, cellulose, resistant starch, pectin substances, insulin, and gums,
among others (Fuentes-Zaragoza et al. 2010).
Our focus is on the fungal production of dietary fibers, but we must acknowledge
that the yeasts play a dominant role where biotechnology is applied to the food
industry, being essential in brewing and bread making, and important sources of
single-cell protein and dietary supplements. In various industries, these fungal
activities are essential to human existence and support. On the other hand, traditional solid state fermentations for producing mushrooms and other food products
and in recent years the Quorn fermentation provide us with a sufficient range of
examples of filamentous fungi being almost equally crucial to human affairs.
Judging from archaeological and similar finds, mushrooms and bracket fungi have
been used for both food and medicinal purposes (Moore and Chiu 2001).
Mushrooms are great example of fungal production of dietary fiber. They have
valuable resources for food, medicine, and nutraceuticals. Edible mushroom is considered as a novel source of dietary fiber (Cheung 2013).
Divya and S. Mishra
3. Codex Alimentarius Commission – Dietary fiber means carbohydrate polymers
with ≥10 monomeric units, which are not hydrolyzed by the endogenous
enzymes in the small intestine of humans (Codex Alimentarius Commission 2009).
2.2 Introduction
Fungi are ideal food because they have a fairly high content of protein (typically
20–30% dry matter as crude protein) which contains all of the essential amino acids
essential to human and animal nutrition. Fungal biomass is also a source of dietary
fiber, free of cholesterol.
Mushrooms are the main examples of fungal production of dietary fibers that are
cultivated around the world, their global annual production being in the region of
8 million metric tonnes.
China is largest producer of mushrooms, nearly 60% of the world’s mushrooms.
Supplies of fresh mushrooms are now intercontinental goods. The only successful
fermenter-grown fungal food on the market is the mycoprotein Quorn, the mycelium of a species of Fusarium. In marketing the material, its ability to simulate the
fibrous nature of meat is emphasized and it is sold as a healthy alternative to meat.
A large-scale collection of mushrooms for food has become an industry in many
regions and the commercial picking industry is bound to continue to expand.
However, it raises several issues, including conservation, ownership, and sustainability of supplies. The key reaction seems to be effective holistic management of
the forest resource (Moore and Chiu 2001). Dietary fiber is a mixture of plant carbohydrate polymers, consisting of polysaccharides and oligosaccharides, as well as
hemicelluloses, cellulose, resistant starch, pectin substances, insulin, and gums,
among others (Fuentes-Zaragoza et al. 2010).
Our focus is on the fungal production of dietary fibers, but we must acknowledge
that the yeasts play a dominant role where biotechnology is applied to the food
industry, being essential in brewing and bread making, and important sources of
single-cell protein and dietary supplements. In various industries, these fungal
activities are essential to human existence and support. On the other hand, traditional solid state fermentations for producing mushrooms and other food products
and in recent years the Quorn fermentation provide us with a sufficient range of
examples of filamentous fungi being almost equally crucial to human affairs.
Judging from archaeological and similar finds, mushrooms and bracket fungi have
been used for both food and medicinal purposes (Moore and Chiu 2001).
Mushrooms are great example of fungal production of dietary fiber. They have
valuable resources for food, medicine, and nutraceuticals. Edible mushroom is considered as a novel source of dietary fiber (Cheung 2013).
Divya and S. Mishra