10 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 434 



Summary and Conclusions 



Recent work on the nutritive value of cultivated mushrooms (Agaricus cam- 

 peslris) provides evidence that v^^ould tend to place them in the average American 

 diet not only on the basis of their already recognized flavor-enhancing properties 

 but also because of certain definite food values the mushroom has been found to 

 possess. 



1. The mineral content of mushrooms provides an additional source of iron 

 and copper. 



2. Fresh mushrooms contain approximately 2.67 percent of protein and all 

 of the essential amino acids, at least in small amounts. While not comparable 

 with such foods as meat and fish as a source of protein, mushrooms do compare 

 favorably with many fresh vegetables in protein content. 



3. Mushrooms contain small amounts of carbohydrates and carbohydrate- 

 like substances. 



4. Mushrooms were found to be an excellent plant source of riboflavin and 

 nicotinic acid and a good source of pantothenic acid. They also contain ap- 

 preciable amounts of thiamin and biotin. These vitamins are well retained during 

 cooking, and in canned, dehydrated, and frozen mushrooms. 



5. Commercially canned mushrooms as purchased by the consumer were 

 found to be excellent sources of certain of the B vitamins. The content of these 

 vitamins was quite uniform in commercially canned mushrooms packaged by 

 different canners. 



6. Although mushrooms will probably always be eaten for their innate flavor 

 and taste appeal, they do possess definite food values and are not merely a fancy 

 source of good flavor with no nutritional merit. 



REFERENCES 



1. Anderson, E. E., and Fellers, C. R., 1942. The food value of mushrooms 



(Agaricus campestris) . Proc. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci. 41:301. 



2. Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, 1940. Official and tentative 



methods of analysis. 5th Ed. 138, 379, 498. 



3. Brunell, H. J., Esselen, W. B., Jr., and Griffiths, F. P., 1943. Methods for 



quick freezing and deh3drating mushrooms. Food Ind. 15 (11):74. 



4. Chatfield, C, and Adams, G. 1940. Proximate composition of American 



food materials. U. S. Dept. Agr. Cir. 549. 



5. Cheldelin, V. H., and Williams, R. J., 1942. The B vitamin content of 



foods. Univ. Texas Pub. No. 4237, 105. 



6. Filios, A. M., and Esselen, W. B., Jr., 1946. The riboflavin, nicotinic acid, 



pantothenic acid and biotin content of canned and cooked fresh mush- 

 rooms. J. Am. Dietet. Assoc. 22:772-777. 



7. Fitzpatrick, W. H., Esselen, W. B., Jr., and Weir, E., 1946. The composition 



and nutritive value of mushroom protein. J. Am. Dietet. Assoc. 22:318. 



8. Hara, S., 1923. Ueber den Vitamingehalt verschiedener Speisepilze. 



Biochem. Z. 142:79. 



9. Hutchings, B. L., and Peterson, W\ H., 1943. Amino acid requirement of 



Lactobacillus casei. Proc. Soc. Expt. Biol, and Med. 52:36. 



10. Inagaki, S., 1934. Constituents of Japanese mushrooms. I. Mannitol 



content. J. Pharm. Soc. Japan. 54:726. 



11. Ives, M., Wagner, J. J., Elvehjem, C. A., and Strong, F. M., 1944. The 



nutritive value of canned foods. Ill Thiamin and niacin. J. Nutrition 

 28:117. 



