Vol. 7, Issue 10, Part I (2025)

This research explores the efficacy of combining hydrogen peroxide washing treatments with innovative, eco-friendly packaging solutions to extend the shelf-life of white button mushrooms. The study evaluates the impact of these treatments under varying storage conditions, emphasizing their potential to maintain product quality and safety while reducing waste and reliance on conventional plastics. Mushrooms were washed with tap water, distilled water, and hydrogen peroxide solutions (1%, 1.5%, and 2% w/v) before packaging. For packaging, a biodegradable container made from sugarcane bagasse and a biodegradable film developed at ICAR-CIAE, Bhopal using polylactic acid (PLA), corn starch and glycerol via. modified solvent casting techniques. The mushrooms sample were packed and stored at ambient (25±2 °C) and recommended low temperatures (5±1 °C) and the results demonstrated that hydrogen peroxide washing significantly improved shelf life, extending it from 1 to 3 days at 25±2 °C and from 5 to 12 days at 5±1 °C. Among all treatments, washing with a 1.5% hydrogen peroxide solution and using biobased biodegradable packaging was the most effective, maintaining mushroom quality for up to 12 days at 5 °C. This approach effectively controlled weight loss, pH, firmness, maturity index, microbial counts, total soluble solids, and colour. The findings highlight the viability of this approach as a commercially promising alternative for the mushroom industry, mushrooms treated with natural preservatives aligns with current sustainability goals and contributing to the development of sustainable packaging systems that support both environmental and economic objectives.