Think Twice Before Buying Mushrooms At Costco — Here's Why

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Ideally, we could get all of our weekly groceries at the same place, but realistically, even the best stores tend to have some items (or departments) that just don't shine. While Costco certainly has a cult-like following, there are a few groceries you should never buy there. At the very top of the list is the mushrooms. Customers have been reporting online that Costco's mushrooms are spoiling unusually fast, within just two or three days. This produce quickly turns moldy, rotten, or spotty, and some have noted that it develops a musty smell too. And that's not even the worst of it: the grossest offender is the unusual green slime that several have noticed growing on their mushrooms. "I don't want my fungus to have fungus!" lamented one Reddit poster.

Some say the issue could be improper storage, advising customers to take the purchased mushrooms out of the plastic containers and store them inside paper bags in a dry place. But even with the best storage conditions, if the product is already going (or fully gone) when you bring it home, there's not much left that you can do to extend its shelf life. Another Costco customer on Reddit brought home mushrooms that were packaged three whole weeks prior only to realize that the fungi had gone bad upon opening the package. The user then returned the mushrooms and was shockingly told by the staff that "this was the six carton he saw returned in the last two days."

For a brand that does so many things right, it's surprising to see foods from Costco with shockingly negative reviews. How come the wholesaler is doing so poorly in the mushroom department? Well, the issue appears to be bigger than just the fungi. Apparently, the whole produce section at Costco has declined in quality, according to customers. Some pinpoint COVID-19 as the turning point, claiming the fresh food has been worse ever since, even at other grocery stores.

One reason for this quality drop at Costco, specifically, could be the sourcing of the mushrooms. While some are sourced from the U.S., others are imported from Canada and Mexico, traveling quite the distance. An alleged produce driver for the wholesaler shared on Reddit that it's not uncommon for month-old produce to end up on the shelves. "It still boggles my mind how old produce can be before it even shows up to our stores," the user said. Another apparent employee confessed that the produce department is chronically understaffed. "We don't always have time to go through every single pallet," the user admitted, so the bad, nearly spoiled produce doesn't always get removed from the bunch.

If Costco is a no-go for the mushrooms, where can you go for fresh portobellos, chanterelles, and buttons instead? Try Walmart! The chain's Fresh Whole White Mushrooms have almost 7,000 five-star reviews from happy customers, and the Sliced White Mushrooms boast over 11,000. The price per ounce is cheaper, too.