Biopolymer based edible coating for enhancing the shelf life of horticulture products

Abstract

As per the report of the United Nations, half of the fruits and vegetables loses annually. Industries are trying to reduce the postharvest loss by using coatings. Wax coating is the most preferred way to preserve fruits and veggies. Sometimes wax is mixed with some chemical compounds that are known to be carcinogenic. Recently many edible films have been developed using natural polymers to enhance the shelf life of food. The edible films act as a barrier between the food and the external environment to prevent the direct interaction of food with atmospheric gases and microbes, which reduce the rate of respiration, keeping the food fresh for an extended period. But, the cost of edible biofilms is high and restricted at the industrial level; the local fruits and vegetable vendors are not able to buy such costly biofilms. We have developed the solution for dip-coating and nanofiber coating using a blend of silk fibroin, PVA, honey and curcumin, which is a cost-effective method for fruits and vegetable vendors. The material used for coating is FDA approved. The techniques utilized for synthesizing the biofilm are electrospinning and dip-coating. Coating found to increase the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables.

Keywords

• Edible coatings
• Silk fibroin
• Nanofibers
• Dip-coating