A new sustainable packaging technology developed by Israeli company StePac is said to significantly prolong the shelf life of mushrooms while reducing the use of plastic.  

StePac’s modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) films are designed to preserve the flavor, nutrition and texture of fresh, whole and sliced mushrooms, such as oyster, lion’s mane, shiitake, portabella and more. 

According to data by Emergen Research, the global mushroom market is valued at more than $50 billion and is expected to double by 2030. 

White mushrooms, however, are considered to be highly perishable and have a shelf life of just a few days, making them not very cost efficient and wasteful. 

MAP has been proven to extend mushroom shelf life to more than two weeks, by reducing dehydration of the mushrooms and expelling excess moisture from the packaging. 

VP of Marketing for Marina Galilee Mushrooms Roni Sofer reported that StePac’s packaging helped the company reduce supply chain waste by more than 35%. 

“We strongly recommend to any mushroom grower or supplier to examine this solution,” said Sofer.

Fred Recchiuti, the general manager of Basciani Foods, leading provider of fresh mushrooms for the food service industry in the United States, said the packaging helped to keep the mushrooms fresh for 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,” he said. 

StePac CTO Gary Ward said: “Our highly functional packaging solution has been tailored to dramatically improve inventory management and storability of mushrooms, enabling stakeholders to prolong storage in times of glut and preserve their quality along the supply chain. This, in turn, will boost marketability and consumer experience.”