Synergistic non-thermal processing and packaging Interventions for postharvest quality retention of mushrooms: mechanistic insights and industrial relevance

The demand for fresh mushrooms has increased globally due to their rich bioactive compounds and nutritional value. Despite this growing demand, mushrooms are highly perishable and undergo quality deterioration including weight loss, discolouration, textural changes, microbial spoilage and loss of flavour and nutrients, which limits marketability. Several conventional preservation approaches often compromise product quality, highlighting the need for efficient alternative strategies. Non-thermal preservation methods such as irradiation, ozonation, ultrasound, pulsed light, pulsed electric field and cold plasma are essential to address this challenge. Unlike previous reviews, which focused on individual treatments, the present review evaluates synergistic preservation mechanisms, comparative effectiveness and engineering concerns relevant to process optimization and industrial application. An engineering based framework is proposed to link process parameters, system integration and mushroom quality retention. Overall, this review provides comparative and mechanistic insights to support the selection of sustainable and efficient preservation strategies for fresh mushrooms.