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
Postharvest management of mushrooms: a review
The Australian mushroom industry invests more than $3 million in marketing annually. However, no marketing campaign will be successful if quality is not what the consumer expects. Moreover, consistently presenting high quality mushrooms to consumers at retail is a proven way to increase purchases.
The scientific literature reviewed in this report informed the Mushroom Supply Chain Best Practice Guide, developed as part of the MU22011
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.
Review - Pre and postharvest management of mushrooms
The purpose of this review is to summarise recent major advances in mushroom production technology, as reported in the peer-reviewed literature.
The aim is to help the Australian mushroom industry identify gaps in knowledge and determine the best possible use of research levy funds. In particular, it is important to focus on areas that are not already being studied in other countries, or where overseas research has limited relevance for Australian growers.