Jan Klerken, Ambassador of the Mushroom

The great upheaval for Scelta Mushrooms begins in 2002. After a failed merger, Jan Klerken and his son decide to take a break and travel through Asia. During that trip he writes his "reverse bucket list": all the things he wants to quit. No more canned mushrooms, for example. No more managing more than 10 people. All those 'nots' make room for new dreams and plans. After the trip, he will appoint two directors so that he can focus on further exploring the market, on innovation and on spreading his ideas. Not surprisingly, Klerken is called the ambassador of the mushroom. "Did you know that the mushroom has 5,000 ingredients? We researched the top 10 with the HAS and Maastricht University and our most important innovations came out of that!"

What's missing?

Klerken is a walking idea machine. As soon as he talks about the future. a generous smile appears on his face. "I'm mainly inspired by what isn't there. What is still missing, where can we add something that really makes a difference? I also travel a lot and then you see things that are there but not yet in the rest of the world. That also inspires."
Klerken already concluded when he worked in his father's company that the canning market did not have a future. Too little taste, too little bite. There had to be a better way. Scelta Mushrooms now has an extensive range of mushroom products: grilled, dried, cooked, pre-cooked, processed into powder and concentrate or in snacks. Chef, dietician and food technologist work together within the Scelta Institute to develop top products for food retail, food service and industry.
"I once said that Scelta Mushrooms should be like 3 great thinkers. Like Einstein, because of his curiosity and fresh perspective. Like Darwin, because of continuous improvement and innovation. And like Columbus, because of his drive to discover the world."

The BlendBurger

One of Scelta's newest concepts is the BlendBurger: a burger of 50% beef and 50% mushrooms. It fits in with the intended protein transition, in which consumers eat less meat and more vegetable. Klerken: "For health reasons, many consumers do not want to or cannot switch to a completely plant-based diet. This product offers an intermediate form, where you don't have to compromise on taste and structure. Perhaps in the future mushrooms will become the main ingredient of the meal and the ratio will be rather 80/20." While we watch the burger being prepared in the Scelta Kitchen, a test panel is already waiting to judge the result. Some serious carnivores also turn out to be enthusiastic.

Still a world to be won

After a lengthy and intensive development process, Scelta is increasingly moving into other related markets. The company is now also developing Murill Capsules, a food supplement with beta-glucan as an important ingredient. This substance is extracted from the mycelium of mushrooms and supports the immune system. Mushrooms are also rich in vitamin D, while a third of the people have a deficiency of this vitamin. Scelta recently received 'novel food' status with this product. The first processed mushrooms rich in vitamin D will go on sale this year.
The Vitamin Food Company is exploring the market for fortified foods. Think of healthy drinks, bars or soups, but even chewing gum or candies that support health.
With SylvanScelta, the company is focusing on the health of livestock by adding natural ingredients to the feed. This reduces the need for antibiotic use.

Not a brand, but a company with real impact

Toughly speaking, it would be a mistake to see Scelta Mushrooms as a hip brand, capitalizing on hypes without making a real difference. "Scelta Mushrooms doesn't want to be a brand like Dior. That's just exterior. We are a dynamic company that is in close contact with its customers, its people and with nature. We don't just do anything, we want to add value and make the world a better place." That is why Scelta Mushrooms also contributes to social organizations, such as the Kids University for Cooking. This organization focuses on educating children about healthy food. In addition, Scelta invests with a number of partners such as Rabobank, Seacon, BASF and ZON in research and knowledge development with a chair at Maastricht University. This chair 'Youth and Healthy Nutrition' will be started in Venlo.

"We don't want to be a brand like Dior, that's just exterior"

Circular manufacturing as a success model

Scelta Mushrooms works together with 14 mushroom growers who value sustainability and circular production. The mushrooms are grown on substrate, a mixture of straw and manure from horse farming. During the harvesting and processing of the mushrooms, residual streams are created, such as mushroom feet. From these, Scelta makes a natural flavor enhancer rich in umami. In this way, nothing goes to waste and a circular approach is taken here as well. Klerken: "We know how to turn a negative waste flow into a positive product flow. We go from Waste to Taste. We continue to investigate how we can do things even better. Together with the growers, we are looking for new varieties that are drier and more flavorful. Because less moisture means that less energy is needed for drying and so the factories can produce even more efficiently. At the same time we participate in a reforestation project, so that we compensate for our CO2 emissions. Soon we even want to live stream our CO2 footprint to make it completely transparent."

Focus on Health and Nutrition

Klerken thinks big. So if you ask about his view of agrofood in Limburg, he immediately nuances that term. "Limburg is strong in agro. But we shouldn't want to compete with North Brabant when it comes to agrofood. Traditionally the food retail and food service companies have been strongly represented there. With the arrival of the HAS and Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, new agrofood initiatives are emerging. We ourselves have used Brightslabs intensively for our vitamin research. I strongly believe in a focus on Health and Nutrition, that is important for the region. Looking more broadly at the Netherlands, I am surprised at the lack of pride in our agribusiness. We are very critical of our farms, while they are usually doing so well. We are the most productive in the world, generate a turnover of 85 billion euros. Look at the level of food safety, food quality, the attention to sustainability. We should really have much more appreciation for that. In any case, I am enormously proud of it and shout it from the rooftops!"

Entrepreneurial tips from Jan Klerken:

1. Write your own reverse bucket list: what do you want to quit? This gives space to what you love most.
2. Be curious. Turn off the TV and read. Read books, magazines, newspapers: anything that makes you wiser.
3. Go on a journey of discovery. The world is your playground! New ideas are born in different environments. Food trends, for example, are born in countries like Japan, Australia and the United States.
4. Dare to share. By sharing knowledge and ideas, something can grow. Talk to people, find partners outside your own link in the chain.
5. Keep in touch with young people. They are living the future, for which you are developing products and offer a fresh perspective.

Other sources:
Financial Dagblad
AGF.nl