ABSTRACT
Quality in fruit production is crucial to get the final acceptance of consumers. However, fruits can be affected by the presence of pathogens, causing significant losses due to the presence of diseases at the postharvest stage. The use of chemical fungicides for disease management is a traditional practice; however, consumers are aware of the presence of chemical residue on fruits. In this context, new technologies for disease control need to develop in order to obtain fruits free of chemical residue; in this sense, the use of biopolymers as edible coatings represents an interesting alternative for preserving fruit quality. These biopolymers also can act as carriers of compounds with antimicrobial activities such as essential oils, compounds recognized as GRAS substances. This chapter summarizes the characteristics and properties of essential oils as active agents that can be incorporated into biopolymer matrices for postharvest disease management.
