Anuga 2025 live: Scelta predicts bright future for “meaty” & flavorful mushroom innovation

Netherlands-based Scelta Mushrooms spoke with Food Ingredients First about the latest trends in mushrooms from the show floor of Anuga 2025 in Cologne, Germany. The company is showcasing the “world of mushrooms” and how they can be used to add a “meaty” flavor to products or in hybrid food solutions.

Jules Klerken, CEO and owner of Scelta Mushrooms, believes they are a sustainable, future-proof ingredient with a low-carbon footprint and significant taste benefits for all sorts of applications.

“We are seeing a trend toward hybrid foods, and we believe that mushrooms can play a big role here because they add juiciness and flavor. But what’s tough is how to communicate this [hybrid] message to the consumer where they are looking at products on the shelf or a restaurant menu.”

“Perhaps it would be a blend of 30% beef and 70% mushroom, and be called a beef-mushroom burger? These are the questions we are asking.” 

Propelling portobello

Klerken says currently there is a significant focus toward portobello and cremini mushrooms, which are gaining traction because of their premium qualities. 

“The market is going toward premium products where you can differentiate yourself a bit from the mainstream items,” he shares. 

“We have carried out an analysis of the carbon footprint and can say that, compared to other products, it’s very low. Besides that, our product is very easy to farm. It’s grown on a vertical farm indoors, which means it grows pretty quickly, and it’s 100% natural, so that is a big asset for our product.” 

“You can use our product in a blend very easily without losing taste or flavor. You see on the label ‘mushrooms,’ and everyone knows mushrooms. When you think about all the functional ingredients, it’s getting too complicated, and sometimes consumers feel like the industry is misleading them, but our product is 100% natural.”

Growth opportunities

Last year, Scelta Mushrooms conducted research that found consumers are “ready to explore more mushroom-based products.” However Klerken recognizes that changing consumer behavior takes a lot of time — decades in some cases. 

“But as a family business, we have a long-term view and it doesn’t matter if it [change] comes in ten years, we will still be here.” 

“The mushroom market is growing, and we are very well-positioned toward the future. Mushrooms are a sustainable, vertically farmed, and future-proofed product — everyone can consume and benefit from them. They are vegan and vegetarian and do not have religious restrictions or restrictions on imports.”

He cites India as an example where mushroom consumption is only just emerging, with more Indians adding mushrooms to their daily diets.

“Our product has a meaty structure and a meaty bite so that it can deliver taste and flavor, and that’s what we believe people think throughout the world. We foresee a bright future for mushrooms.” 

Eco footprint 

Scelta Mushrooms has aligned its sustainability goals with the EU targets of 2030 and is working toward reducing emissions. Klerken says the company is “definitely on track.”  

“Sustainability has not been such a key part of discussions in the last six months for some companies, but we want to be the best in class, so we still focus on this and do not slow down in our ambition.”

With additional reporting by Milana Nikolova, live at Anuga 2025 in Cologne, Germany