Natural biodegradable treatments for enhnacing the shelf life of produce

Fresh fruits and vegetables experience a short shelf life, which is further limited by several factors throughout the supply chain such as transpiration, increased ripening, senescence and postharvest diseases. There has been a recent surge of interest in developing alternatives to chemical fungicides for the control of pathogenic fungi.Novel biodegradable treatments have been developed as alternative techniques that are environmentally friendly and effective in extending the postharvest shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Naturally occurring chemicals have been applied as edible coatings which generate a modified atmosphere around the fruit allowing the reduction of respiration and delay of senescence along with reduced water loss from the fruit. Composite edible coatings were developed based on different natural products which include Arabic gum, chitosan, propolis and essential oils such as ginger oil, cinnamon oil and lemongrass oil. Arabic gum Arabic is characterised by its emulsification, film forming and encapsulation properties, therefore it was applied as a base coating with combination of these various natural chemicals that have been demonstrated to possess potent antimicrobial effects. This offers an inexpensive, simple and novel approach that can effectively reduce disease incidence andmaintain the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables. SourcesNOVEL BIODEGRADABLE TREATMENTS FOR ENHANCING THE SHELF LIFE OF PERISHABLE FRUITS AND VEGETABLESAli, A1Asgar.Ali@nottingham.edu.my1University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, MalaysiaIHC 2014, International Horticulture Congress, 17-22 August 2014, Brisbane, http://www.ihc2014.org/ ?