ABSTRACT
Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Kano State, Nigeria
9.1 Introduction .................................................................................. 312 9.2 New Alternative Methods ............................................................ 312 9.3 Postharvest Applications of Natural Antimicrobials in
Fruits and Vegetables ................................................................... 313 9.4 Postharvest Applications of Herbs, Spices and
Essential Oils in Fruits and Vegetables ........................................ 316 9.5 Postharvest Applications of Natural Coatings in Fruits and
Vegetables .................................................................................... 318 9.6 Postharvest Applications of Antogonistic
Micro-Organisms in Fruits and Vegetables .................................. 319 9.7 Conclusion and Recommendations .............................................. 319 Keywords .............................................................................................. 320 References ............................................................................................. 320
9.1 INTRODUCTION
Fresh fruit and Vegetables are perishable and susceptible to postharvest diseases, which limit the storage period and marketing life, Moreover, postharvest decay results in substantial economic losses around the world (Zhang et al., 2011). The high rate of microbial attack in fruits and vegetables after harvest is due to the loss in their natural resistance, high water and nutrient contents. Postharvest losses many reach up to 50% and more in the field depending on the crop, harvest method, length of storage, marketing condition, etc. (Appleton and Nigro, 2003).
