Israel-based packaging firm StePacPPC is releasing a brand new kind of modified ambiance packaging (MAP) particularly catered to defending mushrooms. It goals to guard a spread of mushrooms, from complete and sliced white mushrooms to extra ‘unique’ varieties, reminiscent of shiitake, oyster, lion’s mane, and portabello.
Mushrooms have a really quick shelf life, often just some days, and the packaging works to increase it, in addition to sustaining flavour, texture and vitamin, stopping weight misplaced, and serving to mushrooms to keep up their pure look. Thereby, it reduces meals waste. In keeping with Roni Sofer, VP of selling for Marina Galilee Mushrooms, Ltd., the packaging can scale back waste by as much as 35%.
The corporate first examined out its packaging throughout the pandemic, serving to farmers preserve backlogs of oyster mushrooms for longer.
Saving mushrooms
Whereas MAP can be utilized for quite a lot of meals, StePacPPC’s is particularly focused in the direction of mushrooms, as they’re closely affected by moisture loss. The packaging helps stop this.
“Optimum modified ambiance and elimination of extra moisture are crucial in preserving the standard and slowing the deterioration of recent mushrooms. After appreciable analysis, we’ve succeeded in attaining each of those, which has enabled us to maximise shelf lifetime of the mushrooms,” Gary Ward, Ph.D., CTO for StePacPPC, instructed FoodNavigator.
MAP packaging is in pretty widespread use, however StePacPPC has a particular focus: maintaining out the moisture and defending the mushrooms.
“One main differentiating issue is that StePacPPC specializes within the improvement of superior polymer movies with a spread of water vapor transmission charges (WVTR) to handle humidity within the packaging headspace. That is crucial part of modified ambiance packaging,” Ward instructed us.
“With produce objects which might be delicate to moisture reminiscent of mushrooms, you will need to take away extra moisture from the packaging headspace, however in case you take away an excessive amount of the mushrooms will dehydrate. Tweaking the WVTR properties in accordance with the produce that’s being packed and the prevailing provide chain is essential to offering optimum MAP and that is our space of experience.” Not solely does the packaging preserve moisture out, however expels extra moisture as nicely.
MAPping the market
Mushrooms are an more and more standard fungus, with many vegetarian and vegan shoppers valuing it for its meat like umami texture, and its ‘well being halo’ (mushrooms have many well being advantages – for instance, lion’s important aids with cognition and shiitake promotes immunity, in response to the elements firm Wixon).
“As well as, cultivation of mushrooms is without doubt one of the most sustainable areas of agriculture,” Ward instructed us.
In keeping with US-based administration consultancy Emergen Analysis, the worldwide mushroom market was value $50.4b in 2021.
Nevertheless, Ward views their quick shelf-life as an inhibition, stopping them from attaining their full market potential. Thus, he’s pleased with StePacPPC’s packaging’s capacity to increase their shelf life considerably past its pure span.
“Reaching 18 days storage is a significant achievement and doubtless meets the necessities of most present mushroom provide chains. If we’re profitable in extending the preservation time even additional then in fact it will be welcome, however we additionally understand that there’s a restrict to how a lot you possibly can prolong the physiological lifetime of produce.”
