Microbiological Characteristics of Wild Edible Mushrooms and Effect of Temperature during Storage of Morchella conica

Background: The continuous worldwide increase of consumption of fresh mushrooms has registered in the recent years. The major goal of this study was to determine the microbiological characteristics of wild edible mushrooms and effect of temperature during storage of Morchella conica. Methods: Wild mushrooms of the species Boletus edulis, Cantharellus cibarius, and Leccinum aurantiacum were collected in a mixed forest of Picea abies, Betula pendula, and Pinus sylvestris located in Tartu territory, Estonia. Faecal indicators, potential pathogens, spoilage bacteria, and microfungi (yeasts and moulds) were evaluated. M. conica was microbiologically investigated for 24 days under different thermal regimes, including 4, 8, 12, 15, 20, and 28 °C. The statistical analysis was conducted with SAS 9.2 software. Results: The microbial counts of wild mushrooms, ranging from 6.81 to 7.68 log10 CFU/g for total mesophilic count, were generally higher (p