An official website of the United States government.

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

National Agricultural Library
U.S. Department of Agriculture
  1. Home
  2. Research Tools
  3. Food Safety Research Projects Database
  4. Edible Coatings and Other Postharvest Treatments to Improve Small Fruit, Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Shelf Life

Edible Coatings and Other Postharvest Treatments to Improve Small Fruit, Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Shelf Life

Objective

To improve shelf life and quality of intact and fresh-cut fruits such as blueberry, strawberry, citrus, mango and other tropical or subtropical fruit using edible coatings and other surface treatments.

More information

Approach:
Edible coatings will be developed by both parties to be tested on blueberries, strawberries, whole and cut fruit, as well as citrus and tropical fruits. Coating effects will be measured as shelf life extension, decay, number of lesions, turgor, respiration rate, color, texture, aroma, and in some cases, sensory attributes. Further coating development will include antimicrobial substances, and testing new containers (clamshells).

Investigators
Narciso, Jan; Plotto, Anne
Institution
USDA - Agricultural Research Service
Start date
2008
End date
2011
Funding Source
Agricultural Research Service
Project number
6621-43000-002-03
Commodities
Produce