Cold mushrooms are quality mushrooms
Temperature is certainly the key factor determining the storage life of fresh mushrooms. It affects weight loss, colour change, firmness, stipe elongation, cap opening, bacterial growth and overall freshness. While there are many things growers can do to improve quality at harvest (see MushroomLink Summer p11, Best practice in mushroom supply chains for more on this), it is the temperatures that mushrooms experience afterwards that are key to determining the quality consumers experience.
Postharvest temperature management
Temperature is certainly the key factor determining the storage life of fresh mushrooms. It affects weight loss, colour change, firmness, stipe elongation, cap opening, bacterial growth and overall freshness. While there are many things growers can do to improve quality at harvest (see MushroomLink Summer p11, Best practice in mushroom supply chains for more on this), it is the temperatures that mushrooms experience afterwards that are key to determining the quality consumers experience.
In Issue 08 of MushroomLink magazine, Dr Jenny Ekman discusses:
Principles of cooling
Thermal conductivity
Cooling methods
Energy efficiency
Keeping mushrooms cold
Manage the risk of warming
Australian Mushroom Supply Chain Best Practice Guide
Consistent mushroom quality at retail is essential to keep consumers not just satisfied, but buying more mushrooms. The quality of the mushrooms that reach the retail display depends on many factors, including effective pre-harvest management, well managed harvesting and packing operations, fast cooling and accurate temperature control.
Drawing on the latest international research, as well as data collected in 2024 from Australian mushroom supply chains, this guide aims to summarise best practice for all those involved in growing, packing, transporting and retailing mushrooms. It includes guidelines on how the key factors affecting mushroom quality can be managed as well as actions needed to supply consistent, high-quality mushrooms the end-consumer.
This guide is suitable for all supply chain participants, from grower to retail. “If we can manage the supply chain properly, we reduce rejections at distribution centres, improve retail quality, minimise waste, and ensure food safety. That’s got to be another step towards a better mushroom industry for all” – Dr Jenny Ekman, Project Leader, MU22011.
MU19005 - New innovations to improve mushroom whiteness shelf life
Key research provider: Applied Horticultural Research
During 2020, this investment investigated new innovations to improve and maintain mushroom whiteness, looking at both pre- and post-harvest factors. A grower-focused Best Bets Guide was produced that outlines the most effective technologies, techniques and strategies that mushroom growers can use on-farm to improve and maintain mushroom whiteness, with information to improve handling and management through the supply chain as well.
Presenting clean, white mushrooms to consumers at retail is a proven method of increasing sales. Conversely, browning mushrooms lack freshness, appearing damaged or near the end of storage life. Improving and maintaining whiteness has the potential to boost sales and reduce waste, and ultimately increase the profitability of the mushroom sector.
The project team conducted a detailed desktop study on mushroom whiteness. Peer reviewed literature on mushroom quality has increased immensely in the last few years, with substantial information about the cellular and metabolic process involved in the browning of mushrooms, along with a wide range of methods to slow this process.
As well as detailing the causes of browning, the project’s study thoroughly reviewed pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest strategies to improve whiteness at harvest and retain colour through the supply chain.
Promising areas requiring further work to achieve commercialisation have been identified, along with proven methods that industry could adopt right now.
Project outputs
Access the Best Bets Guide on the industry resource website AGORA.
Read this article about the project’s results in the Summer 2020 edition of Australian Mushrooms Journal.