Mushroom testing
Functional mushroom products are widely mislabelled: grain substrate sold as fruiting body, and starch reported as beta-glucan. We measure both glucan fractions separately, confirm species by DNA, and screen the metals and microbes a mushroom grown on substrate can carry.
- Price
- Quoted
- Turnaround
- 5–7 business days
- Family
- Plant and botanical
- Plate reader with enzymatic hydrolysis
- Plate reader
- PCR and sequencing
- Agilent 7850 ICP-MS
- Agilent 6490 Triple Quadrupole
- Incubated plates
- Moisture balance
Purchased new through authorised channels, performance-qualified by certified engineers, and the instrument ID prints on every certificate. View the bench.
What the panel measures
| Test | Method | Instrument | Reports as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-glucan | MethodEnzymatic assay, Megazyme method | InstrumentPlate reader with enzymatic hydrolysis | Reports as% w/w, beta and alpha reported apart |
| Alpha-glucan, starch | MethodEnzymatic assay | InstrumentPlate reader | Reports as% w/w, indicates grain substrate |
| Species identity | MethodDNA barcoding, ITS region | InstrumentPCR and sequencing | Reports asSpecies confirmed or mismatch named |
| Heavy metals | MethodICP-MS, He collision cell | InstrumentAgilent 7850 ICP-MS | Reports asppb: Pb, As, Cd, Hg |
| Mycotoxins | MethodLC-MS/MS | InstrumentAgilent 6490 Triple Quadrupole | Reports asppb, aflatoxins and OTA |
| Microbial | MethodUSP <61>/<62> plate count | InstrumentIncubated plates | Reports asCFU/g, TAMC, TYMC, pathogens |
| Moisture | MethodLoss on drying | InstrumentMoisture balance | Reports as% w/w |
Sample requirements and shipping
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Powder | Requirement10 g sealed, as sold |
| Capsules | Requirement30 capsules in the retail bottle |
| Extract or tincture | Requirement30 mL sealed |
| Condition | RequirementRoom temperature, dry. Substrate-grown material should be noted at submission. |
Order first, then ship. A prepaid label is emailed when payment lands, and the carrier scan on that label opens your chain of custody. We accept no walk-in drop-off, and we hold no DEA registration, so no Schedule I to V material.
Why the method matters
A polysaccharide number on a label usually means total polysaccharide, which counts the starch from grain substrate. Splitting alpha from beta is the only way to tell a fruiting-body extract from ground-up substrate, and the two numbers appear side by side on our certificate.
Mushrooms concentrate metals from their growing medium, so a heavy metal screen is not optional on a product people take daily. We run ICP-MS against USP <232>/<233> limits and report in ppb with the limit alongside.
What comes back
A public certificate
Every result, the method, the instrument ID, the LOD and LOQ and the signature, verifiable by accession number with no login.
The filmed route
Your package opened on camera, a photograph of each container, and the footage retained for three years. Released to you on request.
A retained sample
Held 90 days, so any result can be rechecked by us or by an accredited laboratory of your choosing.
Questions about mushroom testing
Do you test psilocybin mushrooms?
No. We hold no DEA registration, so we cannot receive Schedule I material. Do not send it; a package that arrives containing it is refused and reported.
Can you tell fruiting body from mycelium on grain?
The alpha-glucan figure is the practical indicator: substrate-grown mycelium carries significant starch, a fruiting-body extract does not. We report the number rather than the verdict, and you draw the conclusion.
What does species identity cost?
DNA barcoding is quoted per submission. It confirms the species on the label, or names what was actually in the jar.
Is Amanita muscaria covered here?
That runs as its own panel, because the analytes are muscimol and ibotenic acid rather than glucans. See amanita testing.
Submit a sample
Order in the builder, pay, and a prepaid label is emailed to you. The certificate publishes to the database the moment it is signed.