StePacPPC’s New Sustainable Packaging Designed to Boost Exotic Mushroom Longevity

TEFEN, Israel — Fresh produce packaging company StePacPPC has customized its modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) films to preserve fresh whole and sliced white mushrooms and whole exotic mushrooms, such as oyster, lion’s mane, shiitake, portabella and more. The lean MAP system fulfills consumer demands for sustainable packaging that slows deterioration and dramatically reduces waste of this highly perishable item, the company said.

StePacPPC's latest advancement in its packaging formats is designed specifically to maintain the freshness of mushrooms, known for their short shelf life. The customized films significantly slow down decay and reduce weight loss of costly culinary delicacies, preserving texture, nutrition and flavor and  diminishing waste and cost, said StePacPPC.

Over the past decade, consumer demand for mushrooms has surged, the company reported, with more exotic species entering the mainstream. According to data by Emergen Research, the global mushroom market size is valued at more than $50 billion, and this number is expected to more than double by 2030.

“Mushrooms have high metabolic activity and respiration rates, which gives them a short shelf life — typically just a few days,” said Gary Ward, Ph.D., CTO for StePacPPC. “They also generate a lot of moisture during the respiration process, which encourages bacterial decay. On the other hand, they are also prone to dehydration, which causes them to shrivel, and they become discolored due to oxidation. Sliced mushrooms are even more susceptible to a rapid decline in quality.”

The high water-vapor transmission rate of StePacPPC films, coupled with the customized modified atmosphere properties, have proven ideal for preserving the quality of both whole and sliced mushrooms, at once slowing respiration and aging, reducing dehydration and expelling excess moisture from the packaging, the company said.

“In post-harvest lab and field trials, our films have demonstrated abilities to maintain the freshness and wholesome appearance of mushrooms,” said Ward. “This effectively stretches their shelf life from just a few days to more than two weeks, generating meaningful reductions in food waste.”

StePacPPC's packaging first demonstrated its potential for mushroom preservation during the COVID-19 pandemic, when oyster mushroom farmers found themselves with backlogs of produce due to the logistical standstills. StePacPPC's Xtend bulk packaging solutions were instrumental in helping prolong storage. Since then, the company has developed Xtend bulk packaging solutions for lion's mane, shiitake and portabella.

“We use the Xtend solution for packing our oyster and portobella mushrooms and preserving the quality during shipment to the customers,” said Roni Sofer, vice president of marketing for Marina Galilee Mushrooms, Ltd. in Israel. “The results have been amazing, and overall, we have succeeded in preserving the freshness for more than 10 days, and waste in our supply chain has reduced by more than 35% since we began. We strongly recommend to any mushroom grower or supplier to examine this solution.”

More recently, StePacPPC and its longstanding partner Windham Packaging, LLC, completed the adaptation of its Xflow brand of roll-stock films for automated packing to meet the specific preservation needs of bulk fresh sliced white mushrooms.

In North America, StePacPPC's newest Xflow solutions are preserving the quality of bulk-packed sliced mushrooms for foodservice outlets such as restaurants and hotels, said the company.

“We use the Xflow solution for packing our sliced mushrooms and preserving the quality during shipping to food service customers,” said Fred Recchiuti of Basciani Foods, a provider of fresh mushrooms for retail and the food service industry in the United States. “The results have been impressive, and overall, the packaging system preserved the freshness for as long as 18 days. The tamper-proof bag increases food safety and security and eliminates the possibility of foreign materials entering the product in the supply chain. For sustainability, it reduces the product's plastic use by more than 94.7% versus the tubs we used to use.”

These packaging formats can optionally be produced with 30% recycled material to support a circular economy.