Effect of Potassium Metabisulphite and Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Shelf Life of Pink Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus eous)

Mushrooms are an excellent source of protein, vitamins, fibers, minerals, and essential amino acids crucial for human nutrition. However, their short shelf life poses a significant challenge to their processing and distribution. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the combined effect of potassium metabisulphite - (KMS 0.2%), packaging film (high density polyethylene and low density polyethylene) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the shelf life of pink oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eous). High oxygen packaging (HOP), medium oxygen packaging (MOP) and low oxygen packaging (LOP) were the different conditions of MAP were used. The mushroom packed in MOP with KMS (0.2%) had increased the shelf-life up to 16 days as compared to the control – atmospheric air. Mushroom preserved with KMS (0.2%) +HDPE+MAP showed better results in physical, biochemical and microbiological analysis as compared to KMS (0.2%) + LDPE+MAP. Pink oyster mushrooms packaged in HDPE+MOP showed the lowest physiological loss in weight (2.76%), decreasing trend in weight was recorded throughout the storage time. Despite the lowest (p < 0.05) bacterial count for sample in HDPE+LOP, mushroom packaged in LDPE+MOP scored the highest for the overall acceptability of the packaged mushrooms. This study has significant effect of combining KMS (0.2%) +HDPE+MOP to increase the shelf life of pink oyster mushroom for 16 days.