Prepacking and Shelf Life of Mushrooms

Mushrooms covered with the PVC film Resinite in a ·Hartmann Foodtainer dish had a shelf life of S to 7 days when stored at 15° to 21°C. Uncovered mushrooms had a shelf life of 2 to 4 days under similar cOnditions. Treatment of mushrooms with solutions of antioxidants foUowed by prepackaging with Resinite gave a shelf life of only 3 to 5 days. · The shear press and refiectometer were found suitable for n1easuring texture and whiteness of 1nushrooms. Toughness of covered and uncovered n1ushrooms increased over a S~day period. Uncovered mushrooms lost 31.6 percent of their original whiteness after 4 days while covered mushrooms lost 18.8 percent. The corresponding 111oisture losses were 68.3 and 10.8 percent.