Optimization of Pre-treatments for Packaging and Storage of White Buttcm Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)

摘要

White button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) are popular in India and Solan city in Himachal Pradesh is known as mushroom city of the country. Mushrooms are famous for its nutritive contents unique flavour and medicinal properties. Physiological disorders such as shriveling, textural and flavor changes are main causes of post harvest losses in mushroom resulting short shelf-life. Investigations were therefore, conducted to improve the shelf-life of mushrooms by using different presentments and packaging material. Fresh mushrooms were washed in different solutions and it was observed that the mushrooms treated with solution containing 0.5% each of CaCI_2, citric acid and KMS shows minimum loss of weight and least changes in quality attributes during storage. Further, packing of mushrooms in jute bags containing sachet of CO_2 scavenger (3g MgO) was optimized for improvement of the shelf-life up to 15 days under refrigerated conditions as compared to mushrooms packed inshrink wrapped paper trays (10 days).