Mushrooms

Find out if you are covered by the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule at www.coproducesafety.org.

Definition: Mushrooms are the spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi. Most are edible, yet some are poisonous and popularly referred to as toadstools. Some edible commercially available species include white or button, crimini or baby bella, Portobello, oyster, shiitake, chanterelle, enoki, porcini, lion’s mane, and morel.

Harvest/Post Harvest: Consult Mushroom Good Agricultural Practices (MGAP) Program, from Penn State University and the American Mushroom Institute. MGAP sets standards consistent with the FDA “Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.”

Food Safety: Wild harvested:  Mushroom species picked in the wild shall be obtained from sources where each mushroom is individually inspected and found to be safe by a mushroom identification expert approved by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE Consumer Protection Division Retail Rules and Regulations). For details on the criteria for wild mushroom identification expert.

Mushroom poisoning can occur from consumption of raw or cooked species of poisonous fungi. Most poisonous mushrooms cannot be made non-toxic through drying or cooking and consumption of these should be avoided. There is no easy way to distinguish differences between poisonous or non-poisonous species for non-experts, or experts, to harvest in the wild.

Distribution Method (Expand All | Collapse All)

You are selling your product at a farmers’ market, CSA, roadside stand, or other direct to consumer outlet

Licensing: Mushroom species picked in the wild must be obtained from sources where each mushroom is individually inspected and found to be safe by a mushroom identification expert approved by the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment.If you are selling cultivated wild mushroom species that you have grown, harvested, and processed in an regulated operation, no specific licensing requirements. Whole uncut fresh fruits are considered raw agricultural products and are exempt from licensing requirements of the Colorado Retail Food Protection Act. Samples of these products may be offered to consumers by vendors that are not licensed as retail food establishments and, therefore, those vendors are not required to comply with the provisions of the Colorado Retail Food Establishment Rules and Regulations. If a vendor is selling only uncut fruit and vegetables, the vendor is exempt from retail food establishment licensure even if offering samples. However, mushrooms that have been dried or dehydrated would be considered a processed product and subject to the rules and regulations of the local or state department of health.If you are selling wild mushroom species that are packaged and the food processing plant you purchased them from is regulated by a food regulatory agency, you do not need approval from the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment regarding the mushroom identification expert. If you are selling mushrooms that you have purchased directly from a Colorado grower or from a wholesaler, you will need a Farm Product Dealers License.

Labeling: No specific labeling requirements. Unpackaged, single ingredient foods like fruits and vegetables do not need labels.

Sales Tax Liability: General sales tax information.

Weights and Measures: If you are selling your product by weight, you must follow the Colorado weights and measures requirements. Mushrooms might also be sold by volume, refer to the fruits and vegetables section of weights and measures for guidelines.

You are selling your product to a store, restaurant, food cart, K-12 school, university, hospital, or other retail food establishment

Licensing: Mushroom species picked in the wild must be obtained from sources where each mushroom is individually inspected and found to be safe by a mushroom identification expert approved by the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment.If you are selling cultivated wild mushroom species that you have grown, harvested, and processed in a regulated operation, there are no specific wholesale registration requirements.If you are selling wild mushroom species that are packaged and the food processing plant you purchased them from is regulated by a food regulatory agency, you do not need approval from the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment regarding the mushroom identification expert. If you are selling mushrooms that you have purchased directly from a Colorado grower or from a wholesaler, you will need a Farm Product Dealers License.

Labeling: The state does not require specific labels, however your buyer might have specific requirements. Check with your buyer for product identification and traceability requirements.

Sales Tax Liability: General sales tax information.

Weights and Measures: If you are selling your product by weight, you must follow the Colorado weights and measures requirements. Mushrooms might also be sold by volume, refer to the fruits and vegetables section of weights and measures for guidelines.

Value Added Products: Dried mushrooms, use in soup mix or sauce

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