Asiago Food 
In companies like Asiago Food that prioritize excellence in forest products, there is a crucial and highly specialized professional figure: the mycologist. While we often imagine this expert wandering through mountain paths, their mission goes much further: they are the technical guarantor of food safety and the superior quality that reaches your table.
A rigorous qualification: public and private standards
In Italy, the mycologist is a profession strictly regulated by national law (Ministerial Decree 686/1996). To practice, experts must complete an intensive 240-hour theoretical and practical training program and be officially registered in the National Register of Mycologists under the Italian Ministry of Health.
This figure also plays a key role within public health structures, such as the Mycological Inspectorates of the Local Health Authorities (USL), which provide safety checks for amateur mushroom hunters. Within the production industry, this same scientific expertise is applied to quality control to issue mandatory health certifications. This ensures the absolute botanical identity of every mushroom, clearly distinguishing edible species from non-edible ones.
Beyond identification: 360-degree analysis
Over time, the role of the mycologist within the company has evolved: they are no longer just a “species identifier” but a quality expert integrated into every stage of production. Their strategic intervention ensures excellence across the entire supply chain through concrete actions:
- Technical and quality certification: They perform entomological and structural analyses on every lot to ensure product integrity. This data serves as an essential guide for production departments during the selection and processing stages.
- Setting standards: They collaborate on drafting technical specifications, defining strict acceptance parameters to guarantee consistent quality over time.
- Culture and training: They transfer their scientific sensibility to all production staff, providing continuous updates for those who transform and pack the products every day.
- Supply chain qualification: They act as the primary filter in selecting suppliers and collection centers, verifying that raw materials come exclusively from suitable and correctly managed wild areas.
- Research and Development: They help refine processing methods—such as cutting and freezing—with the goal of preserving the organoleptic properties and original aromas of the forest.
All these activities, from supplier selection to quality certifications, do not remain confined within the company walls. They translate into a tangible guarantee for the consumer: the certainty of bringing to the table a product that retains the integrity and flavor of the wild, protected by expert and constant supervision.
The presence of a mycologist in mushroom companies is not, therefore, merely a legal requirement, but the expression of a commitment to transparency. It is the scientific signature placed on every package to honor the trust of our customers, ensuring total control that begins on forest paths and concludes on your table.
