(ISO International Standard 7561 Cultivated mushrooms - Guide to cold storage and refrigerated transport Champignons de couche-GuidepourI'entreposage et le transport refrigeres First edition -1984-04-01 UDC 635.82:664.8.037.1 Ref.No.ISO7561-1984 (E) Descriptors : agricultural products, mushrooms, cold storage, packages, humidity, transportation. Foreword Iso (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (iso member bodies). The work of developing International Standards is carried out through ISo technical committees. Every member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been authorized has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with Iso, also take part in the work. Draft International Standards adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for approval before their acceptance as International Standards by the Iso Council. International Standard ISO 7561 was developed by Technical Committee ISO/TC 34, Agricultural food products, and was circulated to the member bodies in September 1982. It has been approved by the member bodies of the following countries : Austria Israel South Africa, Rep. of Czechoslovakia Kenya Spain Egypt, Arab Rep. of Korea, Dem. P. Rep. of Sri Lanka Ethiopia Malaysia Turkey France Mexico USA Hungary Netherlands USSR India Philippines Yugoslavia Iran Portugal Iraq Romania The member body of the following country expressed disapproval of the document on technical grounds: Ireland ? International Organization for Standardization,1984 Printed in Switzerland Coovriaht International Oraanization for Standardization ISO7561-1984 (E) INTERNATIONALSTANDARD Cultivated mushrooms - Guide to cold storage and refrigerated transport Scope and field of application 3.2 Quality requirements This International Standard describes methods for obtaining The mushrooms should be carefuly handled, and should be fresh, of good quality, and of uniform white, cream or light buff conditions for the successful cold storage and long distance colour, according to the variety. The cap should be spherical or refrigerated transport of cultivated mushrooms (Agaricus hemispherical. The veil under the cap should be closed or open, bisporus L.), intended either for direct consumption or for according to market requirements. The stem should be plump, industrial processing. and the end may be cut or whole. The body should be elastic, free from abnormal surface moisture and should be free from mechanical damage, spoilage and holes caused by insect attack. 2 Reference 3.3 Grading and packing ISo2169.Fruitsandvegetables-Physical conditions in cold stores- Definitions and measurement. The mushrooms should be graded according to the quality standards of the country concerned or, in the case of international trade in accordance with accepted international standards. The best results are obtained by using packages that 3 Conditions of harvesting and packing have rigid sides. The mushrooms should be tightly packed without being compressed.A loose pack leads to abrasion from movement, and excessively tight packing results in pressure 3.1 Harvesting bruises. Both types of damage lead to discoloration and loss of quality. Cultivated mushrooms should be harvested at a stage of development corresponding to the quality requirements (see Mushrooms may be packed in wooden boxes or fibreboard 3.2), because the veil under the cap soon opens, thus reducing containers lined with silk-paper, and on trays of fibreboard or the quality. Mushrooms should be harvested daily during the plastics placed in wooden boxes. The packages should be covered with perforated film or plastic stretch film in order to main period of cultivation and if grown in rooms with high avoid loss of moisture. Packages and other materials used for temperatures (16 to 20 °C). Towards the end of the cultiv