New coating formulations for the conservation of tropical fruits
Shipment and storage of tropical fruits is difficult because they cannot tolerate low temperatures that are often used in the case of temperate fruits to slow down ripening and extend the shelf life. For this reason, tropical fruit are often shipped by air rather than by land or sea, which increases costs to consumers. Edible coatings with moderately low storage temperatures are an economical alternative. Use of polysaccharide coatings on fruit results in a modified internal fruit atmosphere of relatively low oxygen and high carbon dioxide from the combined effects of coating permeability and fruit respiration. This modified atmosphere slows down ripening processes. In addition, all fruits lose water to the storage atmosphere resulting in a shriveling of the peel. This can be reduced by providing a barrier to water vapor, such as a wax or lipid edible coating. Finally coatings can carry antimicrobial compounds, or act as a physical barrier to pathogens, reducing fruit decay. Often coating formulations are composite films made up of combinations of ingredients. Some examples include use of a sucrose ester film (SemperFresh) on loquat, tangelos, pineapple, and banana; carnauba wax on guava and mango; mineral oil on limes; and a cellulose-based film (Nature Seal) on guava, mango, and oranges.
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| Format: | article biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | Q02 - Traitement et conservation des produits alimentaires, J11 - Manutention, transport, stockage et conservation des produits d'origine végétale, |
| Online Access: | http://agritrop.cirad.fr/485185/ http://agritrop.cirad.fr/485185/1/ID485185.pdf |
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