• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.234-245
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• 2021

To extend the shelf life of king oyster mushrooms for export, we investigated the impacts of mushroom quality grade, fruiting body trimming, and packaging method (tray container sealed packaging vs string-tied OPP bag packaging). Quality is divided into two grades: 1^st grade, which is mushrooms adapted by lowering the cultivation temperature to 9~11℃, and 2^nd grade, mushrooms held at 13~15℃ prior to harvest. Using selected 1^st and 2^nd grade mushrooms, 3 treatments were carried out to assess effects of trimming and packaging method. Test groups included 1) trimming plus string-tied OPP bag packaging (Cut & OPP), 2) no trimming plus string-tied OPP bag packaging (Uncut & OPP), and 3) trimming plus tray container sealing packaging (Cut & Tray). Gas composition inside the packaging, changes in quality factors, and sensory evaluation for fresh quality were performed over 42 days of 0℃ storage. Overall freshness was best maintained in the following order: Cut & Tray > Cut & OPP > Uncut & OPP for both 1^st and 2^nd grade mushrooms. The shelf-life of 1st grade mushrooms was about 30 days for Cut & Tray, 28 days for Cut & OPP, and 21 days for Uncut & OPP. The shelf-life of 2^nd grade mushrooms was about 22 days for Cut & Tray, 17 ays for Cut & OPP, and 14 days for Uncut & OPP. Factors affecting fresh mushroom quality included browning of cap and stalk, and mushroom decay index. Browning of the lower part of the stalk, with related color change as noted in a^* and b^* values were the main factors indicating quality deterioration of king oyster mushrooms.