<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Below is a quick summary on whether mushrooms are OK to eat, due to the 
fact that cultivated mushrooms are grown in a soil mix that may contain 
wheat bran.  The great majority of responses indicated that they had no 
problem eating them after washing. As always, it sounds like each person 
needs to make his or her own decision as to whether they are safe.


- I received several emails indicating that folks had been eating mushrooms for 
years without any problem. Many people suggested that washing them like all 
fruits and veggies seems to be fine.

- I recevied one email indicating that the writer had been experiencing 
stomach aches after eating mushrooms.

- I received one email indicating that the writer is extremely sensitive, and 
decided that the risk of cross-contamination is not worth eating mushrooms.

- I received one email explaining that mushrooms are grown on the cellulose of 
the plant, not the protein.  Fungus also gets it energy for growth from 
breaking things down/decomposition rather than absorption.

- Apparently I should have checked the archives before emailing! There is a 
whole summary on the subject of wheat straw used in the soil (I'm not sure if 
this is the same as wheat bran or not, but the summary certainly is helpful).  
It sounds like washing (rather than brushing) is the best approach. I'll try to 
cut and paste the summary below, but it may be more readable by 
searching "mushrooms" in the archives:



On Mon, 19 Mar 2007 12:35:07 -0400, diana day 
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>


Thanks to everyone who responded to my question about mushrooms grown on
wheat straw. Here are some of the the answers I received:

I don't think you should be concerned about wheat straw with mushrooms.
It is the head of the wheat that contains the toxic prolamine. I eat
lots of Monterey Mushrooms and find their quality high and have never
had a problem. Things that grow in wheat do not pick up the toxic
prolamine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gluten is the protein in kernels of grain. Wheat straw is the stems of
the wheat plant after the grain has been harvested. High in cellulose,
zero in protein. The only gluten in straw would be leftover kernels that
would be likely to fall out either in the field or somewhere along the
way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Since mushroom are a fungus, the straw or other growing medium is
sterilized/pastuerized before it is seeded w/ mushroom spores to keep
undesirable fungus from growing.  It appears that this is accomplished
in straw by boiling. 

From http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/fungi/fungi.html on Fungi--"By
breaking down dead organic material, they continue the cycle of
nutrients through ecosystems."  

In the processs of growing, the growing medium is broken down/composted
by the growing mushrooms. (Proteins in the medium are taken apart but
not absorb as mushroom contain no proteins.) When the spores in the
medium are depleted, the growers start over.  The old medium often sold
as mulch.

Anything left on havested mushrooms is sterilzed mulch, which is why
directions say to brush/wipe clean.  Since there would have been very
little actual grain in the straw to start with, the likelihood of it
being in the mulch is not worth worrying about.  If you still are,
however, rinse the mushroom under running water instead of wiping them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~
the wheat straw has no gluten, just the wheat seeds (heads) have.  I
agree that some lost seeds could be among the straw, but so far, in the
8 years I have read all the messages here and on the Celiac Delphi
Forum, and in many other celiac sites, I never encountered any saying
they had been bothered with mushroom cross-contamination.
I eat mushrooms a lot with no ill effects and my antibodies are tested
every years and they are o.k.
I don't stress on the mushrooms.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If they can't store carbs (sugars, starches) they shouldn't be able to
store gluten which until separated from the rest of the grain is part of
that structure. We are extremely fond of mushrooms, and have never had a
reaction to them. To me, it seems as if the chance for cross
contamination is very low as unless the straw contains lots of whole
seeds and I can't imagine it would since the seeds would then be wasted
and drive up the price. Also, the wheat straw would be in the process of
decomposing, thereby breaking down all the components. I am not a
scientist; but the explanation seems logical to me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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