Cold-Chain Performance: Mycelium Under Refrigerated Transit
Real test data on mycelium inserts in 34°F refrigerated trucks for 72-hour transit windows — moisture, shape retention, and pathogen control.
The cold-chain question
When we tell food and beverage clients that mycelium replaces foam, the first question is always the same: "Will it survive a refrigerated truck?"
Short answer: yes, when specified correctly. Here's the test data.
Test setup
Cerda ran a controlled cold-chain trial in partnership with a regional cheese distributor:
- 200 mycelium inserts (with hydrophobic skin coating)
- 34°F constant ambient
- 75% relative humidity
- 72-hour transit window
- 12-lb product load per insert
Results
- Moisture absorption: 2.1% weight gain (vs. 14% uncoated)
- Shape retention: 100% within ±0.5mm
- Compression strength: 96% of pre-shipment baseline
- Microbial growth: zero detected (matches EPS control)
Specification notes
For any cold-chain application, request the hydrophobic skin option on your Cerda spec sheet. It adds $0.08–$0.15 per unit and prevents condensation absorption.
Where mycelium still loses
- Liquid-exposed surfaces (open bowls of melted ice) — use EPS or vacuum-formed PET
- Transit windows above 7 days — switch to molded pulp with PHA liner
For everything else, mycelium ships cold. Request a sample with the cold-chain coating spec to run your own trial.
Replace foam in your next packaging run.
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