Basciani Foods Inc., Avondale, Pa., which has been searching for a bag to protect and extend the shelf life of mushrooms for years, is now shipping foodservice packs in bags.
The bags are made from a patented material that allows the mushrooms to “breathe,” according to Fred Recchiuti, general manager.
Unfortunately, the bags first became available when foodservice operators were forced to a standstill when COVID-19 forced shutdown.
“We finally got to the point where we were ready to start commercial production when this pandemic started and our foodservice business went out the window,” Recchiuti said in an e-mail. “Orders started to trickle in when restaurants started doing take out, but nobody knew how much to order, what their demand would be — not the distributors or the restaurants.”
So he asked the foodservice operators: How would you like a new package that doubles the shelf life of mushrooms?
The company is also providing clips to reseal the bags.
Previously, Basciani Foods shipped mushrooms in 5-pound tubs; Recchiuti says the bags use just a fraction of the plastic in the tubs. The bags also guard against tampering, according to the company.
They are packed in 5-pound bags, with a choice of 1 or 2 to a carton.
“Currently we only pack foodservice sliced mushrooms in the bags because they are our most perishable products,” he said in the e-mail.
