ABSTRACT
Recently, the rising consumer demand for safe and healthy foods with increased awareness about the adverse environmental impact of nonbiodegradable packaging waste is the major drive behind the success of edible coatings. Fruits are one of the healthiest foods, but have shorter shelf-life due to its high perishable nature thus making its perseveration a great challenge. In this regard, the application of edible coatings is the best approach that is applied as a protective covering to control the gas and water exchange and retain the glossiness of fruits. Recently, the new trend of incorporating active compounds like antioxidants, nutraceuticals, antimicrobials, antibrowning agents, etc., into the edible coatings is getting attention because of the improved functionality. The novel herbal coatings are developed few years ago to meet the needs of consumers to get the natural chemical-free fresh fruits. This chapter discusses the potential of several edible coating materials, like proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, and their composite, in the quality improvement and shelf-life extension.
