Active Packaging of Button Mushrooms with Zeolite and Açai Extract as an Innovative Method of Extending Its Shelf Life

As the market demand for button mushrooms is constantly growing, it is important to extend their shelf-life. Active packaging with built-in active components offers the possibility of extending the shelf life of products which are sensitive to external factors. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to check the effect of active packaging with zeolite (clinoptilolite) and aҫai extract on the bioactive compounds content, antioxidant activity, volatile compound profile, and physical quality of mushrooms subjected to storage for 28 days at 4 °C. Packing mushrooms in active packages improved their chemical characteristics by increasing antioxidant activity (p ≤ 0.001) in comparison to the conventional packaging methods. Moreover, it slowed down water loss and the browning process both on the surface and inside the mushroom. Furthermore, the results showed a strong correlation (p ≤ 0.001) between antioxidant activity, bioactive compounds content and color parameters. The obtained results suggest that the addition of the aҫai extract and zeolite into packaging material protects mushrooms from deterioration for a longer period of time. The use of active packaging to extend product shelf life can contribute to the reduction of the use of food preservatives, but also protects the environment by reducing the volume of waste.