ABSTRACT
354Fresh fruits and vegetables have natural skins that provide protection against water loss, discoloration, and microbial spoilage, among other deleterious phenomena. However, this protection may be reinforced by applying coatings of edible materials on the fruit surface. Hence, the use of edible films and coatings is rapidly growing as consumers demand for fresh-like products increases and in response to this trend, technologists continue to look for new ways of reducing postharvest decay of fruit and horticultural produce. The economical importance of the edible coatings industry is increasing also because of the rise in the sales of fresh-cut products. In these products, peeling and cutting operations remove the natural protection, leading to deterioration and spoilage.
This chapter highlights the most significant applications regarding the use of edible coatings for preventing storage decay in fresh and fresh-cut products. Most recent applications will be reviewed. Furthermore, information on base materials, methods of industrial application, and regulatory aspects are considered with the view of providing a reference to both scientists and processors in the field.
