2022 Fresh Trends: 4 in 10 shoppers eat fresh mushrooms

About four in 10 shoppers say they have purchased fresh mushrooms in the past year, according to new research from The Packer.

The Packer's 2022 Fresh Trends consumer research found that 38% of those polled said they consumed fresh mushrooms in the previous 12 months. Fresh Trends is an annual survey of the produce-purchasing preferences of more than 1,000 consumers.

The percentage of respondents who say they purchased fresh mushrooms is even with the number who say they purchased fresh avocados and just trailing the number of shoppers who say they have purchased fresh peaches, according to the 2022 Fresh Trends survey.

The research found that wealthier consumers purchased mushrooms more often than lower-income shoppers, with Fresh Trends revealing that 49% of consumers earning more than $100,000 per year reporting they were fresh mushroom buyers, compared with 29% for consumers with incomes less than $25,000 per year.

Other highlights of demographic differences for mushroom purchases, according to Fresh Trends, include:

• 41% of female consumers reported buying fresh mushrooms, compared with 34% of men;
• 38% of shoppers with kids reported they purchased fresh mushrooms, compared with 39% of those with no kids;
• By region, 41% of Western and Northeast consumers reported they buy fresh mushrooms, compared with 34% of Midwest consumers and 37% of consumers in the South; and
• Older consumers are best consumers of fresh mushrooms, with 46% of consumers over 60 years old reporting fresh mushroom purchases. That compares with 40% of consumers from 50 to 59 years old, 45% of consumers from 40 to 49 years old, 33% of consumers from 30 to 39 years old and 23% of consumers from 18 to 29 years old.

Specialties and more

Meanwhile, 10% of consumers said they consumed specialty mushrooms such as enoki, morel, oyster, portabella and shiitake in the past year.

Fourteen percent of consumers earning more than $100,000 per year reported specialty mushroom purchases in the past year, compared to 7% for consumers earning less than $25,000 per year.

Other consumer survey findings from the Fresh Trends survey included those gleaned from answers to the following questions: 

Which one of the following varieties of mushrooms do you prefer to purchase?

• Portabella: 26%
• White button: 38%
• Cremini/small brown: 12%
• No preference: 23%
• Other: 1%

 Which of the following phrases, if any, describe all the ways you use mushrooms?

• As a main dish: 23%
• As a side dish: 40%
• As a snack: 16%
• As an appetizer: 25%
• As an ingredient in a recipe: 73%
• As a salad: 36%
• As a desert: 7%
• Not sure: 1%

You indicated you purchased mushrooms. Have you bought sliced mushrooms in the past 12 months?

• No: 17%
• Not sure: 2%
• Yes: 81%

Mushrooms: Type purchased in past 12 months:

• Both conventional and organic: 17%
• Conventional: 64%
• Not sure: 4%
• Organic: 14%
• Organic only or both: 31%
• Conventional or both: 81%

Specialty mushrooms such as enoki, morel, oyster, portabellas and shiitake: Type purchased in past 12 months:

• Both conventional and organic: 14%
• Conventional: 57%
• Not sure: 6%
• Organic: 22%
• Organic only or both: 6%
• Conventional or both: 71%