ABSTRACT
Fresh fruits and vegetables are susceptible to a variety of postharvest decay types that can be reduced by treatment with fungicides with and without a coating or “wax”. Edible coatings have been applied to a diverse array of whole fruits and vegetables since the 1930s and 1940s. Consumer interest in health, nutrition, and food safety combined with environmental concerns have renewed efforts in edible coating research. New research seeks to expand and improve coating technologies and materials to enhance food stability and quality. Paraffin oil, mineral oil, castor oil, rapeseed oil, acetylated monoglycerides, and vegetable oils have been used alone or in combination with other ingredients to coat food products. Paraffin, carnauba, beeswax, candelilla, and polyethylene waxes have been used to coat food products, alone or in combination with other ingredients. Terpene resin is obtained from polymerization of terpene hydrocarbons derived from wood and is approved as a direct food additive.
