Good food going bad is a sad thing when many people are going hungry, but ARS researchers at the Healthy Processed Foods Research Laboratory in Albany, CA, have addressed that issue with a common food waste to make more healthful foods available. The researchers developed an ultraviolet-B light treatment to transform mushroom-stalk waste into a new vegetarian ingredient with a high level of vitamin D. When applied as a film coating to fruit bars and fresh-cut melons, the colorless, tasteless, edible powder helps preserve quality and safety and increases shelf life.

Human clinical trials proved the bioavailability of vitamin D in these mushroom films. Many commercial companies are using this process and are even selling mushroom powders to consumers as a healthy source of vitamin D.