Processing & Marketing of Frozen Mushrooms

Processing of Frozen Mushrooms

The greatest percentage of mushrooms these days are frozen. After a thorough cleaning, the product is graded into different sizes according to the head diameter of the mushrooms.

1. Mushrooms with head diameter of between 50 and 100 millimeters are frozen whole.
2. Mushrooms with a head diameter greater than 100 millimeters, mature but still firm, might be cut in halves, quarters, sections or sliced before freezing.
3. Mushrooms which are soft and fully mature are cleaned of the dark green section under the head and diced into cubes of varying sizes according to customer demand and then frozen.

After freezing the mushrooms are packed into food compatible plastic bags and into cardboard boxes, weighed, sealed and palletized. The full pallets are stored at temperatures of -25º Celsius ready for transportation by refrigerated truck to seaport from where they are loaded into refeer containers for final transportation to the export markets. Once frozen, the mushrooms are maintained in the cold chain at -25º Celsius all the way to final consumption.

Marketing of Frozen Mushrooms

WHOLE AND CUT IN HALF OR QUARTERS

Mushrooms frozen whole or in half or quarters are sold to wholesale distributors to the catering industry. They in turn distribute the same to restaurants or catering organizations. The mushrooms sold to these customers are packed to specification in boxes of net weight of between 2 and 5 kg each.

DICED AND SLICED MUSHROOMS

The frozen mushrooms which are diced and sliced are sold to the primary food industry. The packaging in this case in larger boxes with a net weight up to 8 kg net each. The industry reprocesses the frozen mushrooms into various final products.

1. The mushrooms are blended with other wild or cultivated species and packed in branded bags of various weights for distribution to supermarket chains or other retail outlets.
2. Mushrooms are used as ingredients in dishes which are packed and distribute to supermarkets and catering organizations as ready-made products to be re-heated for immediate consumption.
3. Mushrooms are used in tomato or cream based sauces and then bottled or canned in various sizes under branded labels for distribution in catering or retail outlets.