🇬🇧 The UK has reached a new peak of insanity.
Turkey tail and cordyceps mushroom products are now being removed from UK shelves and cannot be legally sold as food or supplements due to a new crackdown by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) re-classifying these mushrooms as “novel foods” because they lacked “significant consumption” in the UK/EU before May 15, 1997.
This is an extremely bad faith argument because both mushrooms are revered across East Asia (including China, Japan, Korea, and the Himalayas) as potent adaptogens and tonics with zero recorded safety concerns in traditional medicine for hundreds to thousands of years.
Turkey tail grows abundantly in UK forests. So someone please explain how the turkey tail that literally grows wild in the UK is any different than what’s been used for thousands of years in a nearby culture? There are zero cases of side effects or toxicity.
Also consider that functional mushrooms are the chosen target here, not the Phthalates, bisphenols (BPA), pesticides, heavy metals, PFAS (“forever chemicals”) and literally over 10,000 chemicals routinely added to foods in the UK.
They will tell you it’s not a “ban” but actually just a newly required costly pre-market authorization (typically affordable only by large companies) but the truth is no artisan company actually making a real quality mushroom product that uses turkey tail or cordyceps will be able to jump through the hoops of these “authorizations”.
As of now in the UK mushrooms cannot be legally sold as food or supplements. This has forced UK businesses like Bristol Fungarium, Mushies UK, Mogo Farm, and Marvellous Mushrooms to remove products from shelves, despite the mushrooms’ centuries-old use in traditional medicine (e.g., turkey tail as a cancer adjunct in Japan) and no evidence of safety risks.
This is a trial run, to see how the population reacts.
If there’s not enough pushback, you know they’re coming for where you live next. This is the on-going battle that will continue to be waged against natural foods and herbal medicines.
Share this and let’s get the word out that this is unacceptable.
Understanding the "Novel Foods" Regulation: An Arbitrary Cutoff Date
The root of this issue lies in the UK's retained EU Novel Foods Regulation, which defines a "novel food" as any food or ingredient that was not consumed to a significant degree in the UK or EU before May 15, 1997. If something falls into this category, it requires full pre-market authorisation—a rigorous, expensive process involving toxicology studies, safety data submissions, and regulatory approval that can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds and take years to complete.
For Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) and Cordyceps militaris, the FSA has determined there is insufficient evidence of widespread consumption in Europe prior to that 1997 cutoff.
This ignores their extensive history elsewhere: Turkey Tail has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 2,000 years as "Yun Zhi" for immune support and vitality, and in Japan since the 1960s as an approved adjunct cancer therapy with compounds like PSK (polysaccharide-K) and PSP (polysaccharide peptide).
Ironically, Turkey Tail is native to UK woodlands, growing wild on decaying logs across British forests. Cordyceps militaris also appears naturally in the UK, with its bright orange fruiting bodies visible to foragers. How can a mushroom that thrives in our own ecosystems be deemed "novel" simply because Europeans weren't documenting its consumption as a supplement before an arbitrary date?
Proven Health Benefits Backed by Science
These aren't fringe substances either—they have robust scientific backing for their safety and efficacy.
Turkey Tail is one of the most researched functional mushrooms. Its key compounds, PSK and PSP, are beta-glucans that act as immune modulators. In Japan, PSK has been approved as a prescription adjunct for gastric, colorectal, and other cancers since the 1970s, with clinical trials showing improved survival rates, reduced chemotherapy side effects, and enhanced immune function (e.g., increasing CD8+ T-cells and CD19+ B-cells).
Studies have demonstrated its ability to promote beneficial gut bacteria like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, exhibit antibacterial effects against pathogens like E. coli and Candida, and provide antioxidant protection. No significant toxicity has been reported in decades of use, even at high doses in trials.
Cordyceps militaris, often called the "Olympic mushroom" for its performance-enhancing reputation, contains cordycepin and other bioactives linked to increased energy, better oxygen utilization, and anti-inflammatory effects. Research suggests it may support heart health by improving blood flow and lipid profiles, boost athletic performance, and act as an adaptogen to combat fatigue. Animal and human studies indicate potential benefits for diabetes management, immune enhancement, and even anti-aging properties through reduced oxidative stress.
Despite this wealth of evidence from global research and traditional use spanning millennia, the FSA's stance prioritizes a Eurocentric historical consumption record over modern science and worldwide safety data.
Devastating Impact on Small UK Businesses
This enforcement isn't abstract—it's already crippling small producers who have built ethical, high-quality operations around these mushrooms.
Bristol Fungarium, a pioneer in UK-grown functional mushrooms, has been hit hard. They've safely supplied thousands of customers for years but now need around £50,000 (after already spending £10,000) for testing, legal fees, and submissions to challenge the classification.
Other companies like Mogo Farm halted sales of Turkey Tail tinctures in October 2025, facing payment processor freezes and retailer pullbacks. Mushies UK and Marvellous Mushrooms have echoed the frustration, removing products despite no safety complaints.
Food marketing expert Richard Horwell has called the process a "dinosaur stifling innovation," noting it favors big pharma-backed corporations while crushing UK entrepreneurs. In contrast, the US and Canada are booming with accessible mushroom supplements, driving a health revolution we're being left behind in.
The Bigger Picture: Targeting Natural Health While Ignoring Real Risks
Why target these safe, natural adaptogens while ultra-processed foods loaded with questionable additives remain unchecked?
The UK allows thousands of synthetic chemicals in everyday foods—PFAS in packaging, pesticides in produce, and endocrine disruptors like BPA—many with documented health risks. Yet functional mushrooms, with impeccable safety records, face bureaucratic barriers designed for truly novel (and potentially risky) lab-created ingredients.
Critics argue this is part of a broader pattern restricting access to herbal medicines and natural supplements, favoring pharmaceutical interests. Small businesses can't afford the authorisation fees, effectively handing the market to giants if approvals ever come.
This is a Trial Run—Pushback is Essential
If there’s not enough pushback, you know they’re coming for where you live next. This is the on-going battle that will continue to be waged against natural foods and herbal medicines.
Communities are fighting back. Bristol Fungarium has launched a GoFundMe to fund their challenge, aiming to prove no valid reason exists for the novel classification. Petitions on Change.org are gaining traction, calling on Parliament and the FSA to reform the regulation, recognize global traditional use, and exempt these mushrooms based on their safety evidence.
One petition urges: "Review and reform the EU Novel Foods Regulation as it applies to traditional adaptogenic mushrooms... ignoring hundreds of years of documented safety evidence from billions of consumers worldwide."
Another demands: "Overturn the ban on turkeytail and cordyceps mushrooms... restore the rightful place of these mushrooms in our diets and healthcare practices."
Share this and let’s get the word out that this is unacceptable. Sign the petitions, support affected businesses, and contact your MP. Natural health choices shouldn't be gatekept by outdated bureaucracy. These ancient allies have supported human wellness for generations—it's time we defend them.
References: https://mushies.co.uk/blogs/news/the-uk-just-banned-two-ancient-mushrooms-and-why-thats-completely-bonkers
https://mogofarm.co.uk/blogs/mushroom-library/the-outlaw-ancient-fungus-why-is-turkey-tail-mushroom-being-banned-in-the-uk
https://marvellous-mushrooms.co.uk/blog/why-turkey-tail-and-cordyceps-militaris-aren-t-all
