MORRISTOWN, NJ. — The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a food additive petition and amended regulations to provide for the safe use of vitamin D2 mushroom powder in specific food categories.

Morristown-based PLT Health Solutions offers the ingredient under the Earthlight brand. The FDA approval covers Earthlight’s use in a range of food and beverage products, including breakfast cereal, baked foods, juices and meal replacements, according to PLT Health Solutions. The approval also covers the use of Earthlight in five food categories that until now were not covered in the Code of Federal Regulations for vitamin D fortification: fruit smoothies, soups and soup mixes, vegetable juices, extruded vegetable snacks, and plant-based meat analogues.

“Earthlight is the right ingredient at the right time for food and beverage producers in the United States,” said Devin Stagg, chief operating officer at PLT Health Solutions. “Adequate levels of vitamin D have always been important, but today, people are more tuned into D than ever. As a whole food, plant-based, clean label ingredient, Earthlight supports virtually every major food and beverage market trend and can really help product developers differentiate their offerings if they choose to fortify with vitamin D.”

Earthlight is produced through a patented process that exposes mushrooms to light. Much like the human body, mushrooms produce vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet light, according to PLT Health Solutions. Earthlight is a whole food ingredient that is minimally processed without any extract solvents. It may be labeled as “mushroom powder” or “mushroom powder vitamin D.” The ingredient delivers 1,000 micrograms (40,000 International Units) of vitamin D per gram of ingredient.

The FDA’s ruling was published in the July 13 issue of the Federal Register, which may be found here.