M2 Ingredients has announced the launch of the M2 Center of Innovation, a state-of-the-art food, beverage and supplement R&D application lab.
The new lab is designed to accelerate innovation and elevate industry standards for functional mushroom product development.
The M2 Center of Innovation brings together the most experienced functional mushroom R&D teams in the industry with a purpose-built facility to support brands developing next-generation functional foods, beverages and supplements across formats, including RTDs, ready-to-mix powders, gummies, capsules, shots and bars.
"This is a major step forward not just for M2, but for the entire functional mushroom industry," said Jeff Rogers, CEO of M2 Ingredients.
"Brands have historically had to choose between ingredient suppliers and true innovation partners."
"The M2 Center of Innovation eliminates trade-off by combining deep scientific rigour with real-world formulation and application expertise. This will be a powerful asset for our partner brands and a catalyst for faster, more confident innovation."
Unlike traditional application labs, the M2 Center of Innovation is fully integrated with M2’s cultivation, processing and scientific research teams.
This vertical integration allows common formulation challenges such as solubility, suspension, flavour pairing and sensory performance to be addressed at the ingredient level.
The Center of Innovation will be led by Jay Schmalz, R&D Innovation Manager at M2 Ingredients and supported by M2’s in-house team of food scientists, formulation experts and researchers with decades of experience developing functional foods, beverages and supplements for leading consumer brands.
According to Dr Sandra Carter, Founder of M2 Ingredients, the launch represents a defining moment for the category.
"This Center of Innovation reflects the infrastructure that the functional mushroom space has been missing," Dr Carter said.
"It is designed to help brands move beyond concepts and into market-ready products that deliver on both efficacy and experience."
"We believe this will fundamentally change how functional mushroom products are developed and commercialised."
Chief Science Officer, Dr Julie Daoust, noted that the Center was shaped by her own experience leading R&D and innovation teams on the consumer brand side earlier in her career.
"This is the partner I always wished I had when I was responsible for bringing new products to market," stated Dr Daoust, "A team that understands ingredient science, formulation realities, scale-up challenges and commercialisation timelines all at once."
"The M2 Center of Innovation allows brands to innovate without having to build a full internal R&D infrastructure, while still delivering products that truly work."
The M2 Center of Innovation is now open and actively collaborating with food, beverage and supplement brand partners.