The global edible fungi market is projected to reach USD 50.4 billion by 2033, yet high moisture content and rapid deterioration mean roughly 10% of China's crop alone is discarded due to quality loss. Mushrooms spoil through four interlocking processes — respiration, water loss, enzyme-driven browning, and microbial infection — and emerging technologies from cold plasma to chitosan coatings are being developed to interrupt each of them. A review outlines how combining intell