LAUSR

Abstract Button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) has very short shelf life and its quality attributes are considerably influenced by postharvest handling. Temperature management and modified atmosphere packaging are extensively used to prolong shelf life of fruits and vegetables. In this study, the effects of cooling rate and modified atmosphere packaging on apparent quality characteristics and texture of mushroom were investigated. Different cooling rates were obtained by forced-air cooling at different cooling air temperatures, namely, 2, 6 and 10 °C. The results showed that cooling rates considerably affected the quality of mushroom. However, modified atmosphere packaging did not necessarily improve the quality retention of mushroom. Just in case mushrooms were cooled by forced-air cooling, utilization of modified atmosphere packaging could be of benefit. For samples, forced-air cooled at 2 °C and stored under modified atmosphere conditions, total water loss was less than 5 %, firmness remained almost unchanged (10.18 N), and changes in color and in browning index were significantly smaller than that of all other treatments during storage (10 d). Therefore, application of forced-air cooling, followed by modified atmosphere packaging and storage in refrigerated conditions is recommended as an integrated postharvest technology to preserve mushroom quality.