A mushroom packaging system 10 comprising a mushroom packaging apparatus 11 wherein empty containers 12 are at least partially filled with mushrooms 13. The system further comprises a mushroom loading apparatus 14 comprising a mushroom loading station 15 and a mushroom conveyor 16 for retaining and conveying mushrooms loaded thereon by an operator to the mushroom packaging apparatus 11. A container storage apparatus 50 is also provided which provides a container loading station 17 positioned such that an operator may load empty containers 12 thereinto. A container conveyance apparatus 22 conveys empty containers 12 from the container storage apparatus 50 to a packaged mushroom collection station 18 via the mushroom packaging apparatus 11. Packaged mushrooms 19 received at the packaged mushroom collection station 18 may be retrieved by the operator. A single operator may load mushrooms to the mushroom loading station 15, load containers to the container loading station 17, and retrieve containers from the packaged mushroom collection station 18.

Apparatus and methods to harvest biopolymer material, such as a mycological material comprising mycelia. The mycelia products that are harvested can be used in the food industry (for example, as an animal-based meat-substitute) and in other industries, such as textiles, packaging, and others. The present invention provides mycelial harvesting methods and systems that are repeatable and energy efficient, while providing high quality and quantity mycelium-based products.

Apparatus and methods to harvest biopolymer material, such as a mycological material comprising mycelia. The mycelia products that are harvested can be used in the food industry (for example, as an animal-based meat-substitute) and in other industries, such as textiles, packaging, and others. The present invention provides mycelial harvesting methods and systems that are repeatable and energy efficient, while providing high quality and quantity mycelium-based products.

Growth methods and systems herein include a growth container with one or more meshes attached thereto. The growth container and its meshes can hold a substrate. The growth container and its meshes can be vertically oriented to allow fungal biomass (e.g., mycelium, fruiting body, primordia, etc.) to grow from the substrate and through the meshes. The growth containers can be cylindrical or a rectangular box having meshes extending along vertically oriented longitudinal sides. The meshes may be provided on two opposite sides of the growth cylinders. These meshes can expose the substrate to a growth environment to facilitate growth of the fungal biomass.

Harvesting methods and systems for harvesting fungal biomass from a growth container using one or more meshes is described. The growth container includes a first mesh through which the fungal biomass grows. A second mesh can be disposed over the first mesh such that the fungal biomass grows further through the second mesh. A rotator or a slider can be coupled to the second mesh and configured to move the second mesh relative to the first mesh causing the fungal biomass to shear and transport the fungal biomass on the second mesh to a delivery area.

Harvesting methods and systems for harvesting fungal biomass from a growth container using one or more meshes is described. The growth container includes a first mesh through which the fungal biomass grows. A second mesh can be disposed over the first mesh such that the fungal biomass grows further through the second mesh. A rotator or a slider can be coupled to the second mesh and configured to move the second mesh relative to the first mesh causing the fungal biomass to shear and transport the fungal biomass on the second mesh to a delivery area.

Growth and harvesting methods and systems herein include a growth container with one or more meshes attached thereto. The growth container and its meshes can hold a substrate. The growth container and its meshes can be vertically oriented to allow fungal biomass (e.g., mycelium, fruiting body, primordia, etc.) to grow from the substrate and through the meshes. The growth containers can be cylindrical or a rectangular box having meshes extending along vertically oriented longitudinal sides. The meshes may be provided on two opposite sides of the growth cylinders. These meshes can expose the substrate to a growth environment to facilitate growth of the fungal biomass. A cutter is configured to move relative to the growth container to harvest the fungal biomass across the mesh while preventing the substrate from sticking to the harvested fungal biomass.

Disclosed is a chemical-physical method of producing mushrooms enriched with biologically active substances including steps of isolation and pre-seeding development of the mycelium of a desired fungal species, maturation of the substrate, mycelium sowing and incubation with development of fungal primordia under conditions controlled and assisted by machines and processors designed to adjust temperature, humidity and radiation, development of carpophores, their collection and treatment with pulsed light in order to stimulate the production of vitamin D2. Physical treatment includes exposing the environment to electromagnetic fields (EMF) during all the previous steps the collection, and chemical treatment includes adding the substrate with egg powder. After the mycelium sowing, the substrate is enriched with inorganic trace elements, with a result of obtaining officinal mushrooms that are provided with therapeutic capacities in particular in oncology field and, in general, adapted to counter cell degeneration in a variety of diseases.

The present invention relates to a device for discharging mushrooms from a conveyor, comprising a mushroom conveyor, in particular a conveyor belt and/or an endless conveyor, for conveying the mushrooms in a direction of conveyance; wherein the mushroom conveyor has a surface for carrying the mushrooms; and the mushroom conveyor being guided along a trajectory from a charging location such as a picking location to a discharging location, such as a filling station for mushroom containers, as well as a twister, located at the discharging location, for at least locally twisting a plane in which the surface of the mushroom conveyor lies.

The present invention relates to a device for discharging mushrooms from a conveyor, comprising a mushroom conveyor, in particular a conveyor belt and/or an endless conveyor, for conveying the mushrooms in a direction of conveyance; wherein the mushroom conveyor has a surface for carrying the mushrooms; and the mushroom conveyor being guided along a trajectory from a charging location such as a picking location to a discharging location, such as a filling station for mushroom containers, as well as a twister, located at the discharging location, for at least locally twisting a plane in which the surface of the mushroom conveyor lies.