Costco Customers Have Noticed This Issue With The Chain's Mushrooms

There's plenty to love about Costco. Maybe it's the endless free samples, the unbeatable bulk deals, or rewarding yourself with a food court hot dog and soda after a long day of shopping. But let's be honest, not everything at the warehouse giant is a home run. One item that regularly gets called out online is Costco's mushrooms, with many shoppers complaining that they spoil surprisingly fast. 

"I'm starting to give up on fruit and veggies from Costco," one Redditor wrote, referencing the mushrooms. "More often than not, things have been moldy within a few days of purchase. This never used to be the case, just started happening last year. I don't want my fungus to have fungus!" Shoppers have also reported purchasing mushrooms with a musty smell, discolored patches, and in a particularly unpleasant case, a slimy coating. These are all major red flags, and if your mushrooms tick any of these boxes, it's a telling sign that they're well past their prime and belong in the trash, not your dinner plate.

As a whole, Costco's produce is among its most returned food items. According to one employee, the issue comes down to the chain's bulk-buy warehouse model. "[I]t's because we buy produce in bulk and hold it longer than most other stores hold their produce. The bulk system just doesn't work for produce and kinda bites us in the butt." This problem is particularly applicable to mushrooms. Thanks to their high water content, mushrooms have a notoriously short shelf life. If they've been left sitting around for too long, they won't have long left by the time they hit the shelves.

Another reason Costco's mushrooms have a reputation for quickly spoiling is due to the packaging. They're sold in plastic packaging, and honestly, we don't understand why grocery stores are still doing this. Aside from being the least sustainable option, plastic bags also trap moisture and block airflow. Mushrooms continue to "breathe" after harvesting at an extremely high rate, creating a damp, oxygen-poor environment which can rapidly accelerate bacterial growth and sliminess. To prevent this, we suggest immediately removing them from the packaging and storing them in a paper bag or container with plenty of ventilation holes.

Another contributor to Costco's poorly reviewed produce could be down to supply chain issues. One customer complained about mushrooms being sold well beyond their best-before date, and a produce driver on Reddit had this to say: "The crazy thing is, those mushrooms could have just come in yesterday morning with a pack date like that. We are still getting things like grapes and avocados that were packed early December and are just showing up. Part of it is that it comes from other regions of the world, and that stuff takes time." While employees have shared that there is a quality control process in place, it's very possible that certain locations simply miss the mark. Fortunately, one of the perks of a Costco membership is that its famously generous returns policy means getting your money back usually isn't much of a bother.