Edible Coating to Enhance Shelf life of Perishable Fruit and Vegetables

Spoilage of fruits and vegetables has become a problem for the farmers in India, the main reason for this is the lack of proper methods of crop management. The postharvest loss for fruits and vegetables are estimated to be 30-40%. Fresh fruits and vegetables lose 20–30% of their value after harvest, according to estimates. Due the highly perishable of fruits and vegetables, cold storage is necessary to delay ripening-related changes such ethylene production, softening, colour changes, respiration rate, acidity changes and weight loss. When fruits and vegetables are transported and marketed, cold storage is not enough to maintain their quality at maximum level, often resulting in serious chilling injury symptoms. Therefore, it is important to combine cold storage with the appropriate postharvest technology. Only 30-40% of the total fruits and vegetables are used in India and only 2-5% of the production of fruits and vegetables is processed properly. To preserve fruits and vegetables from spoilage and enhance their shelf life, a solution has been found by the experts of crop production management department and that was edible coating.