This past weekend mushroom grower Van Herwijnen from Kerkdriel, the Netherlands could be seen on RTL4 (local Dutch tv station). Owners Peter and Nettie van Herwijnen offer their mushrooms in a special package. According to Peter, the new package prolongs the shelf life of mushrooms: "The material allows for better air flow than conventional plastic boxes. This way the mushrooms do not dry out as fast."
Peter cannot say exactly how long the shelf life is extended, but after a week the difference between his packages and the normal plastic trays can be seen. Another difference is in their production: "Cultivation is controlled by a low-stress agenda so that the mushrooms can grow at a natural pace. All the packaging is done by hand, this provides the opportunity for an additional check on the quality."
According to Peter, distribution has grown considerably in the last six months, "We package 3,000 bags of mushrooms each week that are supplied to MCD, Boon's Markt and Landmarkt via speciality shops and supermarkets. The mushrooms also find their way to customers on the internet via Deterra and Bonavito. In addition, we have an important customer in the fresh produce sector, Van der Lem. Consumers want to go back to local and healthy cultivation and want to put a face on the products they buy. If a customer places an order before noon on Wednesday, they will have it the next day. Customers often think about the price first, but then they see that the longer shelf life and better quality is ultimately a better value for their money."
