What is chaga? The birch fungus, its origin and how we extract it
Originally written by Asha Sultana
About this article Human Pro sells the products mentioned in this article, so this is not an independent review. Our editorial policy explains how we work.
Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is a fungus that forms a sclerotium, a dense conk that grows wild on birch. Human Pro buys its chaga raw from birch in Fennoscandia, which covers northern Finland and Sweden. We then extract it on our farm in Flevoland, the Netherlands, and publish the certificate of every batch.
Key facts
- Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is a sclerotium, the dense conk that grows wild on birch in Fennoscandia.
- Human Pro buys chaga raw and extracts it on our farm in Flevoland, the Netherlands.
- One serving of Human Pro Chaga is 3 capsules of 420 mg extract each, so 1,260 mg a day.
- The certificate of chaga batch 894582, released on 2 October 2026, lists 6.1% w/w total triterpenes against a minimum of 5% w/w.
Contents
- What is chaga?
- Is chaga a mushroom?
- Where does Human Pro's chaga come from?
- How do we extract our chaga?
- How is each batch of chaga tested?
- What is the EU status of chaga as a food?
What is chaga?
Chaga is the common name for Inonotus obliquus, a fungus that lives on birch trees. The part that is harvested and used is its sclerotium, the dense conk that grows wild on birch. Human Pro buys its chaga from birch in Fennoscandia, a name that here means northern Finland and Sweden.
The Latin name matters when you compare products. Common names change from one language to the next, while Inonotus obliquus names one species. On a label or a certificate, look for that Latin name and for the part used.
Our Chaga mushroom capsules hold an extract of the sclerotium. Each capsule contains 420 mg of extract, and one serving is 3 capsules. A pack holds 90 capsules.
No health claim has been authorised in the EU or in Great Britain for Chaga, so we don't make one. This page explains where it comes from, how we extract it and how we test it.
Is chaga a mushroom?
Chaga is a fungus, and shops often sell it as "chaga mushroom". The part that is used, though, is a sclerotium: the dense conk that grows wild on birch. So chaga is a fungus, and what ends up in a capsule is not a fruiting body.
That difference shows in how we describe our range. Lion's Mane and Reishi are grown and extracted on our farm in Flevoland. Both of those extracts are made from the fruiting body, the part most people picture as a mushroom.
Our chaga follows a different route. It is wild harvested in Fennoscandia, we buy it raw, and we extract it on our farm.
When you read any chaga label, check which part it names. A label that states the part used gives you something you can compare with the certificate.
Where does Human Pro's chaga come from?
Human Pro's chaga grows wild on birch in Fennoscandia, the region of northern Finland and Sweden. We buy it raw and extract it on our farm in Flevoland, the Netherlands. The raw chaga for our batch 894582, released on 2 October 2026, came from Finland.
The certificate of batch 894582 on the Chaga test page gives Finland as the origin of the raw material. That way the origin is tied to a batch number, and you can match it to the LOT number on your own pack.
Flevoland, where the extraction takes place, is the youngest province of the Netherlands. It is land reclaimed from the sea. Unlike our Lion's Mane and Reishi, the chaga we extract there arrives as raw wild material.
The same holds for the chaga in our complex. In Mushroom Essentials Complex, the chaga is also wild harvested in Fennoscandia and extracted on our farm. One serving of the complex is 4 capsules, and its certificates are on the MEC lab results page.
How do we extract our chaga?
We extract our chaga on our farm in Flevoland, from the raw sclerotium we buy. The result is a chaga extract, which is dried and filled into capsules, 420 mg of extract per capsule. Every batch is tested before release, and its certificate is published.
The table follows batch 894582 from birch to capsule. Every step comes from the batch certificate or the product label.
| Step | What happens | Batch 894582 |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Chaga grows wild on birch in Fennoscandia | Raw material from Finland |
| Purchase | We buy the sclerotium raw | Raw sclerotium |
| Extraction | Extracted on our farm in Flevoland | Produced 21 September 2026 |
| Testing | Tested before release by the farm's QC laboratory, Fungal Development Europe | Certificate COA-CHA-894582-01 |
| Release | Certificate published on the Chaga test page | Released 2 October 2026 |
| Capsules | 420 mg extract per capsule, pine cellulose shell, 90 capsules per pack | Label |
Source: Human Pro Chaga label and test-results page, checked 19 October 2026.
There are no ingredients of animal origin in the capsule: chaga extract and a pine-cellulose shell. One serving is 3 capsules, 1,260 mg of extract a day. At that serving, one pack of 90 capsules lasts 30 days.
How is each batch of chaga tested?
Each batch of Human Pro chaga extract is tested before release, and its certificate of analysis is published with the method next to every result. Every batch extracted on our farm is tested before release by the farm's QC laboratory, Fungal Development Europe. Eurofins, an independent laboratory, audits that work on the schedule in our HACCP plan.
The table shows five rows from the certificate of batch 894582. Each value belongs to this batch only.
| Analyte | Result | Specification | Method | Lab and accreditation | Batch released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triterpenes, total | 6.1% w/w | at least 5% w/w | Colour reaction, spectrophotometer | Fungal Development Europe QC laboratory, accreditation not stated | 2 October 2026 |
| Polyphenols, total | 0.94% w/w | at least 0.7% w/w | Colour reaction, spectrophotometer | Fungal Development Europe QC laboratory, accreditation not stated | 2 October 2026 |
| Residual ethanol | 0.24% w/w | below 0.5% w/w | Distillation, Anton Paar | Fungal Development Europe QC laboratory, accreditation not stated | 2 October 2026 |
| Loss on drying | 5.8% w/w | at most 7.0% w/w | Drying oven, gravimetric | Fungal Development Europe QC laboratory, accreditation not stated | 2 October 2026 |
| Total plate count | 950 CFU/g | at most 100,000 CFU/g | Plate count | Fungal Development Europe QC laboratory, accreditation not stated | 2 October 2026 |
Triterpenes and polyphenols are groups of compounds that the laboratory measures as quality markers against the specification. Residual ethanol is the alcohol left in the dried extract. Loss on drying is the moisture a sample loses when it is dried, and total plate count is the number of microbial colonies per gram.
Verification: batch 894582, released 2 October 2026; match it to the LOT on your pack. Certificate COA-CHA-894582-01, Fungal Development Europe QC laboratory. Full certificate: Chaga lab results.
Chaga mushroom capsules: sclerotium extract of wild chaga from Fennoscandia, extracted on our farm in Flevoland, 3 capsules of 420 mg a day. Lab results for this batch
What is the EU status of chaga as a food?
The EU Novel Food Catalogue lists chaga under entry POL-NF-00430. The entry covers chaga and its water and ethanol extracts, and it records them as not novel in food supplements only. Any other food use would first need novel-food authorisation.
A food counts as novel in the EU when it was not used for human consumption to a significant degree in the Union before 15 May 1997. That rule is set in Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, Article 3. The catalogue records, species by species, how each food or food use stands under that rule.
Catalogue entries can change after publication. The last modified date of the entry and the date the catalogue was checked for this article are listed under Sources.
Who should not use chaga, and when to ask a doctor
- Do not use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
- Do not exceed the recommended daily dose of 3 capsules (1,260 mg) for Chaga capsules, or 4 capsules for Mushroom Essentials Complex.
- Do you take medication? Ask your doctor or pharmacist before you start.
- Stop using it and contact your doctor if you feel unwell while taking it.
- A food supplement is not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
- Keep out of the reach of young children.
Sources: product label; Directive 2002/46/EC (EUR-Lex); BVL, Pilzliste, 2nd edition, November 2025.
Frequently asked questions
Does chaga go bad?
Our Chaga capsules carry a best-before date 24 months after production, printed on the pack next to the LOT number. Store them in a cool, dry and dark place at room temperature, 15 to 25 °C, and keep the pack tightly closed. Our guide to storage and shelf life of mushroom supplements explains the rest.
How do you take chaga capsules?
Take 3 Human Pro Chaga capsules (1,260 mg) a day with a glass of water, ideally with a meal, as the label directs. Do not exceed that serving. One pack of 90 capsules lasts 30 days at the label serving, and the LOT number on the pack leads you to the certificate of your batch.
What to do next
To see how chaga capsules compare with powders, tinctures and sprays, read mushroom capsules, powder, tincture or spray. Every published certificate, for every product, is on the lab results and certificates of analysis page.
Already have a pack? Match the LOT on your pack to the Chaga batch reports.
Chaga mushroom capsules: sclerotium extract of wild chaga from Fennoscandia, extracted on our farm in Flevoland, 90 capsules per pack. Lab results for Chaga
Sources
- European Commission, EU Novel Food Catalogue, entry Inonotus obliquus (chaga), POL-NF-00430, last modified 6 October 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/food/food-feed-portal/screen/novel-food-catalogue/search (checked 19 October 2026)
- European Parliament and Council, Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 on novel foods, Article 3, 32015R2283, 25 November 2015. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2015/2283/oj
- European Parliament and Council, Directive 2002/46/EC on food supplements, 32002L0046, 10 June 2002. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2002/46/oj (checked 19 October 2026)
- BVL (German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety), Pilzliste, 2nd edition, November 2025. https://www.bvl.bund.de/SharedDocs/Berichte/08_Stoffliste_Bund_Bundeslaender/Pilzliste_2_Auflage_2025.html (checked 19 October 2026)
- Human Pro, Chaga test results, certificate COA-CHA-894582-01, 2 October 2026. Chaga certificate page (checked 19 October 2026)
This article is general information and not medical advice. If you have a health condition or take medication, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Update history
- 27 October 2026: Rewritten in full to explain what chaga is, where ours comes from, where it is extracted and how each batch is tested. It replaces the earlier history article at this address.