USE OF EDIBLE COATINGS TO PRESERVE QUALITY OF LIGHTLY (AND SLIGHTLY) PROCESSED PRODUCTS

Lightly processed agricultural products present a special problem to t he food industry and to scientists involved in postharvest and food te chnology research. Light or minimal processing includes cutting, slici ng, coring, peeling, trimming, or sectioning of agricultural produce. These products have an active metabolism that can result in deteriorat ive changes, such as increased respiration and ethylene production. If not controlled, these changes can lead to rapid senescence and genera l deterioration of the product. In addition, the surface water activit y of cut fruits and vegetables is generally quite high, inviting micro bial attack, which further reduces product Stability. Methods for cont rol of these changes are numerous and can include the use of edible co atings. Also mentioned in this review are coating of nut products, and dried, dehydrated, and freeze-dried fruits. Technically, these are no t considered to be minimally processed, but many of the problems and b enefits of coating these products are similar to coating lightly proce ssed products. Generally, the potential benefits of edible coatings fo r processed or lightly processed produce is to stabilize the product a nd thereby extend product shelf life. More specifically, coatings have the potential to reduce moisture loss, restrict oxygen entrance, lowe r respiration, retard ethylene production, seal in flavor volatiles, a nd carry additives that retard discoloration and microbial growth.