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Mart Stoffele started Foodsporen after finding mushroom extracts during a personal change.
After years of intense work and little rest, Mart felt drained. Doctors diagnosed him with depression. Looking for change, he explored alternative methods while traveling.
On a trip to Japan, he encountered mushroom extracts for the first time. His interest in mushrooms grew, sparking him to study naturopathy and start Foodsporen.
Foodsporen
A blend of the future and the past
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At the time, I was sceptical. But after using a liquid Reishi extract for two weeks, I started to notice a clear difference in how I felt. Another two weeks later, I was calling myself depression-free.
Mart Stoffele
Founder, Foodsporen
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The challenge
From tradition to modern extraction
Building on knowledge, refining the process
Many cultures have valued mushrooms for centuries. At Foodsporen, we are thankful to our ancestors. They understood the healing powers of mushrooms. In the West, we nearly lost this wisdom. Thankfully, more people are now recognizing the healing gifts of Mother Nature. That's why Foodsporen combines this traditional knowledge with modern extraction methods.
Each mushroom needs a unique approach. Foodsporen uses special extraction methods. These techniques boost phytonutrient yield and keep polysaccharides intact.
Advanced Techniques
The team focuses on mushroom fruiting bodies. They use advanced techniques to create concentrated extracts. These products maintain a consistent quality that stands out from the competition.
In the past liquid extracts, or tinctures, were made by soaking plants, herbs, or mushrooms in alcohol for months. Now, we use improved methods. At Foodsporen, we use ultrasonic sound. This breaks down cell walls and releases phytonutrients. These are healthy parts from plants and fungi. Using spray drying, we create strong 12:1 powder extracts by condensing 12 kilos of dried mushrooms into just 1 kilo of powder. That’s very concentrated!”
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The essence of natural products
Mushrooms as the key to a healthy lifestyle
The value behind mushrooms
“Mushrooms are little factories of healthy substances.” They are organisms that compost. They exchange sugars with their environment to get nutrients from soil, wood, or other plants and fungi. From these substances, they build their fruiting bodies.
Mushrooms have many natural compounds. One important type is polysaccharides, like beta-glucans. “These are essential sugars which have immunomodulatory effects on our immune system. Mushrooms also have many helpful substances that can offer unique health benefits.
Apart from this, mushrooms fit well into a sustainable system. Take the oyster mushroom as an example. It is just as nutritious as a kilo of steak, but where a kilo of steak takes 2,000 liters of water to produce, this mushroom takes only 2 liters per kilo. “Because mushrooms absorb everything from their environment, pesticides cannot be used in production. So always a clean product, which is also safely tested per batch.”
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Results in practice
Stability for complex natural formulations
Protection beyond production
While extraction defines the quality of the product, maintaining that quality over time presents another challenge.
As with every step Mart takes with Foodsporen, he does extensive research into what is best: the best growers, the best extraction method, and the right composition. “But also the packaging had to be the best. Especially since we are talking about a product that people consume, nothing should be compromised.”
During this search, he came across Miron.
“Especially because our liquid extracts hardly oxidize in Miron bottles. When liquids oxidize, they become more susceptible to bacterial and fungal growth. And not the mould growth that we want. In addition, the glass provides excellent protection for the many phytonutrients in our liquids and capsules. The shelf life of our products has also increased as a result.”
By limiting light exposure, Miron glass supports the stability of sensitive compounds.
“Initially, we quickly fell for the look of Miron glass. It is sleek, the color is beautiful, and it exudes quality. The choice was quickly made when we found out that our products are also better protected in the high-quality Miron violet glass. I have experienced the preservation of natural ingredients firsthand. And not unimportant, I also find the cooperation with Miron very pleasant. The same young man always helps me, and this gives a pleasant and familiar feeling. Yet the most important thing is the quality, and we are very happy with that.”
What Miron made possible
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Product preservation
Natural sun-filter
Protecting sensitive natural compounds from light exposure
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Quality consistency
Longer shelf life
Supporting stable composition and performance over time
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Product performance
Prolong quality
Reducing oxidation in liquid formulations
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Trusted partnership
Accountability
Reliable supply and consistent collaboration
The choice was quickly made when we found out that our products are also better protected in the high-quality Miron violet glass
Mart Stoffele
Founder, Foodsporen
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Packaging used
Products shown in this case
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