torage conditions: The storage experiments were conducted under the following conditions: 1) Mushroom buttons were placed on 15 cm x15 cm polystyrene foam trays and held at 25-34ºC and 60-70% RH for 24 h to simulate ambient storage conditions. Browning and weight loss were evaluated every hour. Twenty replicates were used. 2) Four to five buttons (approximately 100 g) were placed on a 15 cm x 15 cm polystyrene foam tray overwrapped with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film and stored at 4, 8, 12 or 15ºC and 90-95% RH. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomised design (CRD) with five replications (each pack represented a replication). 3) Twelve mushroom buttons (approximately 300 g) were enclosed in a 7.5 cm ×10 cm ×6.5 cm PVC plastic box and flushed continuously with saturated normal air or saturated gas mixtures comprised of 15%O2 + 10%CO2 + 75% N2 and 15%O2 + 20%CO2 + 65%N2. The controlled atmosphere (CA) of the boxes of stored mushrooms was maintained at 15ºC. The experiment was performed in CRD with 5 replications (one box/replication). 4) Mushroom buttons were enclosed in 20 cm × 30 cm ×11.5 cm PVC plastic boxes, flushed with normal air or a saturated gas mixture comprised of 40%CO2 + 60%N2 and 60%CO2 + 40%N2 and incubated for 4, 6 and 12 h at 15ºC. Four buttons (approximately 100 g) of each pre-treatment were then transferred to 15 cm × 15 cm polystyrene foam trays overwrapped with PVC film. The packs of mushrooms were stored at 15ºC and 90-95% RH. The experiment was performed in CRD with 5 replications (one pack/replication).