Fred Recchiuti, general manager of Basciani Mushroom Farms in Avondale, PA, told The Produce News that mushrooms are definitely on the super-food list today, and interest is stronger than ever.

“But the mushroom industry is facing some serious challenges,” said Mr. Recchiuti. “Our input costs are higher than ever, and we’re facing a critical shortage of growing medium due to the drought. Corn crops are dying all across the Midwest, and we’re worried about getting enough corn hay to maintain production.”

Basciani Foods are foodservice specialists. The category represents about 90 percent of its business. Mr. Recchiuti said that menu penetration of mushrooms in all restaurant categories-even Basciani Foods is promoting its Wild Bunch of mixed specialty mushrooms. quick-serve-is skyrocketing.

“Everyone has a mushroom-Swiss burger on their menu today,” he said. “Mushrooms are not just for fine dining any longer.”

Mr. Recchiuti serves as a member of the United Fresh Produce Association’s Government Relationships Council, and so stays abreast of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Let’s Move! and Choose MyPlate programs, the latter of which calls for half a plate of fresh produce at every meal.

“But studies have been done that show that you cannot force kids to eat something that they’re not attracted to,” he said. “So then came the Stealth Health initiative, which nudges kids to eat more fresh produce.”

This “nudging” includes several ways to sneak fresh produce into food items that kids are known to love, such as nacho dip that has butternut squash, sweet potatoes and white beans hidden inside. For the Mushroom Council, this initiative lead to its Swapability campaign, where a portion of the meat or poultry protein-as in a taco, hamburger or meatball, is replaced with chopped mushrooms.

The grant supporting the program is also paying to test some subtle psychological nudges aimed at encouraging kids to make healthier choices-everything from financial incentives to arranging food differently on the lunch line. One researcher is even testing the fancy lighting techniques you’d see in the aisles of Whole Foods in school cafeterias to see if the visual appeal of the foods encourages more produce consumption among children.

“The Mushroom Council’s Swapable meat-mushroom taco won first place in the kid’s and adult’s choice in the Chef Demo Challenge at the PMA Foodservice expo,” said Mr. Recchiuti. This is great inspiration for us to try to get products like this one into school lunch menus. Kids love sloppy Joes and burgers, and because mushrooms don’t change the taste of the meat, but actually enhance the flavor. If a 70 to 30 percent mushroom to protein takes off, this could double the size of the mushroom industry in the future.”

He also noted that despite the increase in production costs and problems the industry is facing this year because of the drought, mushroom prices haven’t changed in a decade.

“We hope that the demand will help to support the necessary price increases that may take place down the road,” he added.

Basciani Mushroom Farms offers foodservice operators a mixed and ready-to-go bunch of specialty mushrooms called the Wild Bunch. Mr. Recchiuti said that the selection includes Shitake, Crimini, Portabella and Canary Yellow Oyster mushrooms.

“These mushrooms are perceived as being expensive and exotic,” he said. “Foodservice operators can offer a specialty mushroom item that is produced under the same food safety certifications as white mushrooms, and get a premium price for it. And it eliminates back-of-the-house labor because it’s ready to be prepared.”

Basciani Mushroom Farms is in the final stages of changing its facility lighting to LED bulbs, which use half the electricity of regular bulbs.

“We’re taking out lights that run at 2,000 degrees in 35-degree coolers, and putting in LEDs,” said Mr. Recchiuti. “This is a significant investment for us, but it will pay off in the long run. And it’s better for the environment.”