Edible Coatings as Tools to Improve Quality and Shelf-Life of Fresh-Cut Fruits

摘要

The current worldwide trend for a healthier lifestyle has triggered a rise in the demand and consumption of minimally processed commodities. Minimal processing operations need to be designed to protect fruits and vegetables against undesirable deleterious consequences of mechanical bruising such as browning, off-flavor development and texture breakdown. The search for methods to retard these negative effects is of great interest to all the stakeholders involved in the production and preservation of fresh-cut fruits. In this sense, edible coatings can be regarded as a strategy to maintain the original properties of intact vegetable tissues. The artificial semipermeable barrier, a polymeric edible coating, contributes to shelf-life extension by reducing migration of moisture and solutes, gas exchange, respiration and oxidative reactions, and the associated physiological disorders. Edible coatings can additionally act as carriers of antibrowning, antimicrobials, colorants, flavouring agents, nutrientsor even probiotic organisms. Edible coatings may be composed of polysaccharides, proteins, lipids or a blend of these compounds. Their composition determines the barrier properties of the layer with regard to the transfer of moisture, gases, solutes and/or volatiles when applied on a food system. This review is an update about the state of the art of the development of edible coatings for fresh-cut fruits, as an alternative to the currently used preservation approaches.