Trends in Food Science & Technology 96 (2020) 253–267

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Trends in Food Science & Technology

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/tifs

Recent advance in edible coating and its effect on fresh/fresh-cut fruits T

quality
Bernard Maringgala, Norhashila Hashima,d,∗, Intan Syafinaz Mohamed Amin Tawakkalb,
Mahmud Tengku Muda Mohamedc
a
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
b
Department of Process and Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
c
Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
d
SMART Farming Technology Research Centre (SFTRC), Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

A R T I C LE I N FO A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Background: Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the capability of edible coatings for pre-
Edible coating serving the quality and prolonging the shelf life of fresh/fresh-cut fruits. Evidence has shown that an edible
Physicochemical coating could function as a barrier on the fruit surface, modify the internal gas atmosphere, decrease water losses
Antimicrobial and delay fruit ripening. Efforts have been exerted to introduce new natural coating materials to sustain the
Fruit quality
safety and quality of fresh/fresh-cut fruits.
Fresh-cut fruit
Scope and approach: This review attempts to provide a summary of the recent studies on the application of edible
Shelf-life
coatings on different fresh/fresh-cut fruit categories, namely pome fruits (apple and pear), citrus, stone fruits,
tropical and exotic fruits, berries, melon, and tomatoes. A fundamental theory behind the edible coating
treatment and the effect on the physiological, physicochemical, sensory, and antimicrobial properties of fresh/
fresh-cut fruits is discussed. The future perspective of this preservation method is also highlighted.
Key findings and conclusions: Edible coating can be used as an alternative strategy to prolong the shelf life of
fresh/fresh-cut fruits. The materials selection for edible coating play a key role in determining its effectiveness
and consumers acceptability. The ability of the selected materials in extending the shelf life of fresh/fresh-cut
fruits without reducing the sensory and nutritional characteristics are the main challenges in the edible coating
techniques, which demands attention for further research.

1. Introduction In recent decades, numerous methods and technologies have been

Global production of fruits has been increasing as a result of world
population demand, the rise in living quality standard and the increase
in health awareness of fruit consumption. Within 10 years, the total
production of fruits which comprises of pome fruits, citrus, stone fruits,
tropical fruits, berries, melons, tomatoes, and avocados increased from
2,587,570 in 2007 to 34,622,004 metric tonnes in 2017 (FAOSTAT,
2019). This increase is needed in parallel with the growth of the global
population. Alexandratos and Bruinsma (2012) reported that food
production needs to be increased by 60% in 2050. However, post-
harvest losses which result in the degradation of quantity and quality of
the fruits after harvest constitute a serious challenge. The losses are
likely to occur due to poor handling and storage, inapt packaging as
well as microbe and fungal infections.
devised in order to control postharvest losses. Among the methods is a
modified atmosphere that can reduce the respiration rate and extend
the shelf life of fruits. The major principle of this method is a mod-
ification of the atmosphere that surrounds the fruits by removing or
manipulating the level of gases required for respiration such as oxygen,
carbon dioxide, and ethylene. Floros and Matsos (2005, pp. 159–172)
reported that the use of a modified atmosphere has been practiced from
the earliest times, for example in China, Greece and other early civili-
zations by which fruits were sealed in clay containers together with
fresh leaves and grass. This environment provided an inconvenient at-
mosphere that tended to retard the ripening process by modifying the
internal gas composition and slowing down the metabolic activity of
the fruits. As a result, a delay of senescence, as well as inhibition mi-
crobial growth occurred. Another, would be storing the fruits in a low-

∗
Corresponding author. Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor,
Malaysia.
E-mail address: norhashila@upm.edu.my (N. Hashim).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2019.12.024
Received 16 July 2019; Received in revised form 19 December 2019; Accepted 21 December 2019
Available online 28 December 2019
0924-2244/ © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
B. Maringgal, et al.
temperature condition. Though the low-temperature method could
preserve the quality of fruits for quite some time, the method could also
promote the development of chilling injury when the storage tem-
peratures were below the tolerance value.
An edible coating is one of the modified atmosphere methods that
have shown promising results for preserving fruits quality (Guimaraes,
Abrunhosa, Pastrana, & Cerqueira, 2018). The method uses biological
or chemical materials as a coating layer on the surface of the product to
prevent gaseous exchange, thus halt the ripening process. This ap-
proach has been proven in many research studies. Thus, this article
reviews the fundamentals of an edible coating method, regulatory as-
pects of edible coating for fresh/fresh cut fruits and its significant effect
on fresh/fresh-cut fruits in terms of physiological and physicochemical
properties as well as phytonutrient and antimicrobial activities.
2. Edible coating concept and materials
Edible coating is defined as a thin layer that applied to the surface of
fruit to create a barrier between the fruit and the environment which
can be eaten as part of the whole product (Baldwin & Hagenmaier,
2011). The edible coating is applied on the surface of fresh/fresh-cut
fruits by dipping or spraying the coating solution. An ideal edible
coating can provide a partial barrier to water movement that can re-
duce moisture loss from the fruit surface and modify the atmosphere
around the fruit by acting as a barrier to gas exchange (Jongsri,
Wangsomboondee, Rojsitthisak, & Seraypheap, 2016). This causes a
slowing down of respiration and senescence without causing anaero-
biosis besides decelerating fungal development and enhancing the ex-
terior of fruits (Dhall, 2013; Mahajan, Caleb, Singh, Watkins, & Geyer,
2014). Among the physicochemical effects of edible coatings on whole
fruits are enhancing firmness, increasing titratable acidity (TA), and
improving vitamin C while on fresh cuts are retarding water losses,
increasing soluble solid content (SSC) and maintaining the colour of the
products. Most of the effects are possibly appeared in both whole and
fresh-cut fruits. This have stimulated the interest of researchers which
has led to extensive studies. For instance, it has been reported that the
application of an edible coating was able to reduce the activity of
polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) and eventually alle-
viated the physiological effects such as anti-browning and decoloura-
tion of strawberry and sapota fruits (Vishwasrao & Ananthanarayan,
2017). Kumar, Sethi, Singh, and Varghese (2018) reported that there
was a significant reduction in PPO and POD activities in coated fresh-
cut apples which were correlated with the retention of browning
symptoms. The physiological and physicochemical effects of edible
coating activities are as follows:
2.1. Firmness and weight loss retention
Firmness and weight loss are important factors that affect the tex-
tural characteristics of fresh/fresh-cut fruits. Loss of firmness takes
place due to degradation of the middle lamella cell wall by the hy-
drolytic enzyme i.e. polygalactonurase (PG) that is released during the
process of cutting the fruits. The symptom also occurs due to a decrease
in the turgor pressure as moisture loss takes place that leads to shri-
velling. Khorram, Ramezanian, and Hosseini (2017) reported that an
edible coating derived from shellac maintained the firmness of oranges.
Some researchers observed that coated fruits resulted in a significant
correlation between firmness and weight loss (Shao, Zhang, Niu, &
Jiang, 2018). This is considered to be reliable as the edible coating acts
as a barrier to water transmission and the transpiration process which
are the major causes of weight loss (Khaliq, Mohamed, Ali, Ding, &
Ghazali, 2015). Recently, a study by Basiak, Linke, Debeaufort, Lenart,
and Geyer (2019) showed that the application of a starch and starch-
whey protein edible coating on the surface of individual plums can
significantly increase the total resistance in the water vapour pathway
by 60–75% at high transpiration potentials. The findings suggested that
254
Trends in Food Science & Technology 96 (2020) 253–267
edible coatings can slow down the transpiration loss of the fruit and this
is related to the restriction of changes in the internal gas atmosphere in
the intercellular spaces of fruits. A longitudinal study in this area was
undertaken in the work of Jongsri et al. (2016) who reported that an
edible coating derived from chitosan can cover the stomatal aperture of
fresh-cut fruits which leads to weight loss retention by slowing down
the transpiration process and the respiration rate.
2.2. Anti-browning and decolouration
Typically, edible coatings gave the anti-browning effect and im-
proved the appearance of fruits by maintaining the colour and glossy
surface. It was reported that fresh cut apple cv. Taaptimjaan coated
with aloe vera at 75% concentration showed the lowest browning score
after 6 d of storage at 4 ± 1 °C (Supapvanich, Mitrsang, Srinorkham,
Boonyaritthongchai, & Wongs-Aree, 2016). Meanwhile, Pastor et al.
(2011) found that table grapes cv. Muscatel coated with hydroxypropyl
methylcellulose (HPMC) containing ethanolic extract of propolis led to
low development symptom of browning for storage period up to 24 d at
1–2 °C with 85–90% relative humidity (RH). The authors indicated that
application of edible coatings could delayed the browning process due
to non-enzymatic and enzymatic reactions as well as degradation of
chlorophyll to pheophytin. Besides, the slow changes in colour devel-
opment of coated fruits during storage could be attributed to the low
respiration rate that led to retardation of the ethylene production. This
observation was similar to the study of Thakur et al. (2019) who in-
dicated that rice starch-ι-carrageenan coating blended with sucrose was
effective in modifying the atmosphere for banana and resulted in slow
changes to the skin colour of the fruit.
2.3. Phytonutrient and antioxidant
Edible coating effectively preserved the TA and SSC by slowing
down the respiration rate. This statement was supported by the study of
Melo et al. (2018) who revealed an edible coating derived from fungal
chitosan nanoparticles resulted in low values of TA and SSC of grapes
stored at 12 °C and 25 °C. This finding was consistent with the recent
study by Gao et al. (2018), wherein the authors found the cinna-
maldehyde-chitosan coating on the navel orange (Citrus sinensis L.,
Osbeck) caused the low degradation rate of TA and SSC during 120 d of
storage at 10 ± 1 °C and 80–90% RH. The authors also added that the
edible coating gave effect on total sugar and total organic acids of naval
orange by reducing the losses of sucrose, fructose and citric acid con-
tent.
Application of an edible coating can preserve the phytonutrients of
fresh/fresh-cut fruits. Detailed investigation of the primary and sec-
ondary metabolite of strawberry coated with 1.5% carboxymethyl cel-
lulose (CMC) solution and 1.0% chitosan solution developed a slight
reduction of carbohydrate, fatty acids, amino acids, terpenoid, car-
otenoid, phenylpropanoid, and flavonoid after storage (Yan et al.,
2019). The authors also suggested that edible coating could potentially
maintained the strawberry quality with low metabolites contents after
8 d of storage with temperature at 0 °C. This trend was similar to the
results of Khodaei and Hamidi-Esfahani (2019) who found that CMC
coatings loaded with Lactobacillus plantarum resulted in the deteriora-
tions rate of ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds of fresh strawber-
ries during the storage period of 16 d at 4 °C.
The presence of antioxidant properties in fresh produce were due to
the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, lycopene, carotenoids and glu-
cosinolates. However, these compounds could decrease due to the fruit
ripening process. Mannozzi et al. (2018) reported that chitosan-based
coatings enriched with procyanidin maintained the antioxidant prop-
erties of fresh blueberries during storage at 4 °C for 14 d. Recently,
Zahedi, Hosseini, Karimi, and Ebrahimzadeh (2019) observed that ap-
plication of chitosan containing ascorbic acid significantly improved
antioxidant activity of mango (Mangifera indica L.) compared to the
 Table 1
Summary of edible coating(s) applied to fresh/fresh-cut fruits.
Main Ingredient Active Ingredient Coating Method Fruits Effect on quality parameters References
B. Maringgal, et al.

Aloe vera
Alginate and Chitosan
Sodium alginate, konjae
glucomannan and starch
Starch based
Aloe vera
Carboxymethyl cellulose
– Dip coating
Flourensia cernua extract
Lotus leaf extract
Whey protein
Salicylic acid
Essential oils (Eucalyptus
Papaya (cv. Sekaki) a. Firmness and weight loss retention. Mendy et al. (2019)
b. Antifungal.
c. Maintain the SSC, pH, TA, ascorbic acid, total
carotenoid content, total phenolic and flavonoid
content, and antioxidant activity.
d. Increase the shelf life.
Layer by layer Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) a. Increase the shelf life. Salas-Mé;ndez et al.
coating b. Firmness, weight loss, and discoloration retention. (2019)
c. Antimicrobial.
d. Reduce the respiration rate and ethylene
production.
Dip coating Goji (Lycium barbarum L.) a. Increase the shelf life. Jing-Fan et al. (2019)
b. Weight loss retention, reduce the decay rate and
malondialdehyde (MDA) content.
c. Maintain the ascorbic acid, TA, SSC and SOD, CAT,
and POD activities.
Three-layer Plum (Prunus salicina L.) a. Reduce the respiration rate Basiak et al. (2019)
coating b. Weight loss retention.
Dip coating Orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) a. Firmness and weight loss retention. Rasouli et al. (2019)
b. Antimicrobial.
c. Maintain the SSC, TA, Vitamin C, and total
phenolic content.
d. Reduce the malondialdehyde, electrolyte leakage,
and chilling injury.
Dip coating Papaya (Carica papaya L.) a. Increase the shelf life. Zillo et al. (2018)

255
Guar gum
Arabic gum
Sodium alginate and eugenol
Xanthan coating supplemented
Pea starch and guar gum
Locust beam gum
Carboxyl methylcellulose
staigeriana, Lippia sidoides and b. Antifungal.
Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus) c. Maintain the phytosanitary quality.
Ginseng extract Dip coating Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) a. Firmness and weight loss retention. Dong and Wang (2018)
b. Slow down the change of total phenolic content,
anthocyanin, SSC, TA, and ascorbic acid.
c. Maintain the membrane integrity of fruit.
Salicylic acid Dip coating Banana (cv. ‘Grand Nain’) a. Firmness, weight loss, and discoloration retention. Alali et al. (2018)
b. Increase the SSC and peel browning index and
antioxidant activity.
Ascorbic Acid Dip coating Fresh-cut apple (cv. Bravo de Esmolfe’) a. Firmness and weight loss retention. Guerreiro et al. (2017)
b. Antimicrobial.
c. Reduce the respiration rate.
d. Maintain the total phenols, flavonoids, sugars
content, and antioxidant activity.
Cinnamic acid Dip coating Fresh-cut pears (cv. ‘Nashpati’ and ‘Babughosha’) a. Inhibit the activity of browning linked enzymes Sharma and Rou (2015)
(PPO and POD)
b. Prevent the total phenolics oxidation into melanin
compounds
c. Anti-browning.
Oleic acid and shellac Spray and Orange (cv. Velencia) a. Firmness and weight loss retention. Saberi et al. (2018)
bilayer coating b. Reduce the respiration rate.
Biocontrol agents (W. anomalus Dip coating Orange (cv. Mandarin) a. Control the postharvest decay. Parafati et al. (2016)
BS91, M. pulcherrima MPR3 and A. b. Increase the activity of POD and a lower decrease
pullulans PI1 in SOD activity.
Chitosan Layer by layer Orange (cv. Mandarin) a. Firmness and weight loss retention. Arnon et al. (2015)
coating b. Reduce the respiration rate.
c. Glossiness requirement satisfied and maintain the
natural flavour.
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Trends in Food Science & Technology 96 (2020) 253–267
 Table 1 (continued)

Main Ingredient Active Ingredient Coating Method Fruits Effect on quality parameters References

Sodium alginate and locust bean Biocontrol agent W. anomalus Dip coating Orange (cv. Valencia) a. Firmness and weight loss retention. Aloui et al. (2015)
B. Maringgal, et al.

gum b. Antifungal.
Rice starch – Brush coating Plum (Prunus salicina) a. Weight loss retention. Thakur et al. (2018)
b. Reduce the respiration rate.
c. Maintain the total phenolic content, total
antioxidant capacity, flavonoid content, and free
radical scavenging activity.
Combination effect of pulsed light Dip coating Fresh-cut mango (cv. Tommy Atkins) a. Firmness retention. Salinas-Roca et al. (2016)
(PL), alginate coating (ALC) and b. Antimicrobial.
malic acid (MA)
Gum arabic Calcium chloride Dip coating Mango (cv. Choke Anan) a. Firmness, weight loss, and discoloration retention. Khaliq et al. (2015)
b. Reduce the respiration rate.
c. Maintain the TA and ascorbic acid of fruit.
Sodium alginate – Film coating Sweet cherry (cv. Big Lory and Grace Star) a. Firmness, weight loss, and discoloration retention. Chiabrando and
b. Decrease acidity losses. Giacalone. (2015)
Aloe vera gel Rosehip oil Dip coating Several stone fruits: Peaches (cv. Roma’ and ‘B-424-16’ flat a. Firmness and discoloration retention. Paladines et al. (2014)
type), plums (cv. Red Beauty and Songria), nectarine (cv. b. Reduce the respiration rate.
Garofa), sweet cherry (cv. Brooks)
Apple polyphenols (APP) – Spray coating Fresh-cut pitaya (H. polyrhizus) a. Firmness and colour retention. Fan et al. (2018)
b. Antimicrobial.
c. Reduce loss of SSC, TA, betacyanin, and total
phenolic content.
d. Maintain antioxidant activity.
Arabic gum Sodium caseinate and tulsi extract Film coating Guava (cv. Desi) a. Firmness and discoloration retention. Murmu and Mishra
b. Antifungal. (2017)
Alginate Lemongrass oil Dip coating Fresh-cut pineapple (cv. Josapine) a. Antimicrobial Azarakhsh et al. (2014)

256
1-Methylcyclopropene Wax emulsions Spray coating Soursop (Annona muricata L.) a. Increase vitamin C content, dietary fibre, total Moreno- Hernández et al.
phenolic content, and antioxidant activity. (2014)
Methylcellulose Curcumin and limonene Dip coating Strawberry (cv. Chander) a. Antifungal. Dhital et al. (2017)
b. Increase TA and total phenolic content.
Alginate Eugenol, Sodium alginate and Dip coating Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) a. Firmness, weight loss retention, and discoloration Guerreiro, Gago, Faleiro,
Citral retention. Miguel, and Antunes
b. Antimicrobial. (2015)
c. Maintain SSC and antioxidant activity.
Chitosan Lemongrass oil Dip coating Grape berry (Vitis vinifera L. × V.labruscana Bailey) a. Antimicrobial. Oh et al. (2017)
b. Discoloration retention.
c. SSC and antioxidant activity.
Alginate Chitosan Layer by layer Fresh-cut melon (cv. Yaniv) a. Firmness and weight loss retention. Poverenov et al. (2014)
coating b. Antimicrobial.
c. Reduce the respiration rate.
Chitosan Grapefruit seed extract Dip coating Cherry tomatoes (cv. Koko) a. Weight loss retention. Won et al. (2018)
b. Antimicrobial.
Pectin Chitosan Dip coating Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) a. Weight loss retention. Abebe et al. (2017)
b. Antimicrobial.
c. Delay the ripening index.
d. Increase the amount of ascorbic acid, lycopene, and
total phenolic content.
e. Increase the shelf life.
Pectin Oregano essential oil Brush coating Tomatoes (cv. Saladette) a. Antifungal. Rodriguez-Garcia et al.
b. Increase the total phenolic content and antioxidant (2015)
activity.
Carboxyl methylcellulose Moringa leaf and seed extract Dip coating Avocado (cv. Fuerte and Hass) a. Firmness and weight loss retention. Tesfay et al. (2017)
b. Reduce the respiration rate.
c. Antimicrobial.
d. Increase the shelf life.
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Trends in Food Science & Technology 96 (2020) 253–267
 Table 1 (continued)

Main Ingredient Active Ingredient Coating Method Fruits Effect on quality parameters References

Chitosan Silver Dip coating Fresh-cut Melon (cv. Sancho) a. Reduce the respiration rate and ethylene Ortiz-Duarte et al. (2019)
B. Maringgal, et al.

production.
b. Firmness retention.
c. Reduce the senescence rate.
d. Increase the shelf life.
Chitosan Savoury and Tarragon essential Dip coating Kumquat (Fortunella sp.) a. Weight loss retention. Hosseini, Amraie, Salehi,
oil. b. Maintain the Vitamin C. Mohseni, and Aloui
c. Inhibit the off-flavours. (2018)
Chitosan and alginate Pomegranate peel extract Dip coating Guava (cv. Allahabad safeda) a. Reduce respiration rate and delay ripening. Nair et al. (2018)
b. Discoloration retention.
c. Maintain the ascorbic acid, total phenolic and
flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity.
Chitosan Salicylic acid Dip coating Guava (cv. ‘Banati’) a. Firmness, weight loss, discoloration retention. Lo’ay and Taher (2018)
b. Maintain the total phenolic content and inhibit the
browning agent (PPO and PAL).
Ethanolic extract of propolis – Dip coating Mango (cv. ‘Hindi- Besennara’) a. Weight loss retention. Al-Qurashi et al. (2018)
b. Maintain the total phenolic and flavonoid content,
TA, Vitamin C, and antioxidant activity.
Chitosan Montmorillonite Dip coating Tangerine (C. tangerine Hort. ex Tanaka) a. Decrease in decay rate. Xu, Qin, and Ren (2018)
b. Weight loss retention.
c. High in SSC and TA.
d. Reduce respiration rate.
Nano chitosan – Dip coating Apple (cv. Golab Kohanz) a. Firmness, weight loss, and discoloration retention. Gardesh et al. (2016)
b. Reduce the respiration rate.
c. Delay the ripening index.
Chitosan and pullulan – Dip coating Fresh-cut pear (cv. Huang guan) a. Decelerated reduction of total phenolic and Hong Kou, Guo, Guo, Li,

257
flavonoid contents, chlorogenic acid, arbutin, and Xue (2014)
catechin and caffeic acid, SOD, and catalase (CAT)
activities, and total antioxidant activity.
Sodium alginate and pectin Carboxymethyl cellulose and Dip coating Fresh-cut mango (cv. Tommy Atkins) a. Firmness and discoloration retention. Salinas-Roca, Guerreiro,
chitosan b. Improve the content of antioxidant compounds. Welti-Chanes, Antunes,
and Martín-Belloso
(2017)
Chitosan – Dip coating Guava (cv. Paluma) a. Firmness, weight loss, and discoloration retention. Silva et al. (2018)
b. Reduce the respiration rate.
c. Increase the POD activity.
Chitosan – Dip coating and Longan (cv. Diamond) a. Control the browning enzymatic activities (PPO Lin et al. (2017)
UV irradiation and Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase).
b. Reduce the senescence rate.
Aloe vera, chitosan, alginate, – Dip coating Guava (cv. Paluma) a. Firmness, weight loss, and discoloration retention. Kumar et al. (2017)
calcium chloride b. Reduce respiration rate.
c. Maintain the TA, ascorbic acid, anthocyanin, total
antioxidant, and total phenolic content.
Chitosan Lemon essential oil Dip coating Strawberry (cv. Camarosa) a. Antifungal. Perdones et al. (2016)
a. Affected the metabolic pathways and volatile
profile of the fruits.
Chitosan Aloe vera liquid fraction Dip coating Blueberry (cv. Duke) a. Firmness and weight loss retention. Vieira et al. (2016)
b. Antimicrobial
c. Increase the shelf life.
Chitosan Blueberry leaf extracts Dip coating Blueberry (Lanfeng spp.) a. Antifungal. Yang et al. (2014)
b. Maintain the total phenolic content and radical
scavenging activity.
c. Decrease the decay rate of fruit.
d. Increase the shelf life.
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B. Maringgal, et al. Trends in Food Science & Technology 96 (2020) 253–267

control samples during 24 d of storage at 15 ± 2 °C with 85–90% RH.

Poverenov et al. (2018)

Based on the results, the edible coating effectively retained the phe-
Carvalho et al. (2016)
nolics content during storage as well as delayed senescence process by
controlling their metabolism rate.
References

2.4. Antimicrobial activity

To date, the antimicrobial edible coatings on fruits has been ex-

tensively studied. Salvia-Trujillo, Rojas-Graü, Soliva-Fortuny, and
membranes, lower in cell wall hydrolase activities

Martín-Belloso (2015) conducted a series of experiments in which the

c. Improve SSC, total vitamin C, and carotenoid

authors mixed the nano-emulsion based edible coating with different

and maintained the bioactive compounds.
d. A smaller amount damage to biological

concentrations i.e. 0.1, 0.5 or 1% of lemongrass essential oil (LEO). The

a. Firmness and discoloration retention.

results revealed that nano-emulsion based edible coatings with LEO at

0.5% or 1% completely inhibited the natural microflora of fresh-cut Fuji
apples during 14 d of storage at 4 °C. On the other hand, Robledo,
López, Bunger, Tapia, and Abugoch (2018) found that strawberries
Effect on quality parameters

c. Inhibit the off-flavors.

coated with thymol nano-emulsion edible coating had a lower fungal

a. Firmness retention.

and yeast load compared with the uncoated samples at 5 °C with 90%
b. Anti-browning.

b. Antimicrobial.

RH during storage. Furthermore, the coated strawberries were able to

resist against the fungi at least 10 d under the similar commercial
content.

storage environment. Emamifar, Ghaderi, and Ghaderi (2019) also re-

ported that strawberries coated with salep-based edible coating en-
riched with grape seed extract possessed the lowest growth of micro-
organisms during 20 d of storage at 1 °C with 95% RH. Maringgal et al.
(2019) also pointed out that stingless bee honey has a great potential as
edible coating against the anthracnose papaya postharvest disease
during storage and transport. Based on the findings, the edible coatings
Fresh-cut ‘Cantaloupe’ melon (Cucumis melo var.

have the ability to carry the potential additives i.e. essential oil, plant
extraction, and honey as antimicrobial agent.

2.5. Regulatory aspects of edible coatings for fresh/fresh-cut fruits

An edible coating is generally formed from animal and vegetable

Fresh-cut melon (cv. Yaniv)

products and has become a favourable method in postharvest proces-

sing due to its environmentally friendly nature (Poverenov et al., 2018).
Cantalupensis Naud.)

The main ingredients of edible coating can be categorized as proteins,

polysaccharides, lipids and combination of minor ingredient to improve
their functionality such as plasticizers, emulsifiers and active in-
gredients namely antimicrobials and antioxidants. There should be a
Fruits

critical quantity of edible coating constituents in order to achieve the

proposed impact. Therefore, the composition of edible coatings should
Coating Method

meet the specified regulations of the respective food product.

Dip coating

Dip coating

Notably, the constituents have to be in Generally Recognised As Safe

(GRAS) and be registered in the USA Code of Federal Regulations.
Based on European Directive (1998), it was itemised that arabic and
karaya gum, pectins, shellac, beeswax, candelilla wax, and carnauba
wax can be merged into the formulation for edible coatings by re-
commending different elements including lecithin, polysorbates, fatty
acids, and fatty acid salts. The USA Food and Drug Administration
Trans-cinnamaldehyde

(FDA, 2006) has revealed additional additives that can be applied as

constituents of protective coatings used for fresh fruits and vegetables
Active Ingredient

such as polydextrose, sorbitan monostearate, sucrose fatty acid esters,

cocoa butter, and castor oil. Numerous edible coating materials such as
chitosan, aloe vera, cellulose, and protein-based materials that in-
corporated with active ingredient have demonstrated superior barrier
–

attributes as well as excellent taste and competent antimicrobial ac-

tivity on fruits (Dhall, 2013). Likewise, edible coatings should be
Chitosan from mushroom waste

transparent, tasteless, and odourless with sufficient water vapour and

solutes, as well as be selectively permeable to gases and volatile com-
pounds.
Table 1 (continued)

Main Ingredient

3. Effect of edible coatings for preserving quality and prolonging

the shelf life of fresh/fresh-cut fruits
Chitosan

Edible coatings have shown a significant effect as a postharvest

treatment in many fresh/fresh-cut fruits. It has demonstrated promising

258
B. Maringgal, et al.
results to maintain the physiological effect and physicochemical prop-
erties. Table 1 presents a summary of the recent main ingredient of
edible coating and their active ingredient that have been applied to
fresh/fresh-cut fruits as well as their efficiency and functionality with
respect to the modification of postharvest quality retention.
3.1. Pome fruits
Pome fruits such as apple and pears are sensitive and suffer from an
extremely reduced storage life if not properly care. Coating of the
aforementioned fruits using an edible coating has been found to con-
siderably improve the quality and storage life of the fruits. Dhall (2013)
reported that China has been using hot-melt paraffin wax as a coating
for apples and pears since the 1930's. The paraffin wax, however, is not
allowed as an edible coating in many legislations. Guerreiro, Gago,
Faleiro, Miguel, and Antunes (2017) have investigated the impact of
edible coatings by using sodium alginate 2% and eugenol 0.1% in
combination with ascorbic acid as an anti-browning agent on fresh-cut
‘Bravo de Esmolfe’ apple. The study demonstrated the potential appli-
cation of edible coatings as a harmless and effective treatment, which
resulted in decreased microbial spoilage when stored at 4 °C. Moreover,
the results indicated satisfactory preservation of the majority of the
quality parameters without considerably diminishing the nutritional
value of the fruit.
The recent utilisation of nanotechnology coatings has shown its
efficacy in enhancing the quality and postharvest storage-life of the
whole apples fruit, particularly after the climacteric period. Gardesh
et al. (2016) found that 0.5% nano-chitosan coatings significantly
eradicated the climacteric respiration peak and slowed down the nat-
ural ripening process as reflected by the changes of respiration rate
demonstrated in Fig. 1. The fruit were stored at 1 ± 1 °C with RH of
85–90% for nine weeks. It also improved fruit quality such as weight
loss, firmness, POD activities, PPO activities, colour, TA, SSC, and pH.
Similar to the effect on apple as discussed earlier, Sharma and Rou
(2015) found that the use of xanthan coating enriched with cinnamic
acid on fresh-cut ‘Nashpati’ and ‘Babughosha’ pears inhibited the PPO
and POD enzyme activity. This consequently hindered total phenolic
oxidation into melanin compounds and deferred browning incidence,
Fig. 1. Effect of nano-chitosan coatings on the respiration rate of apple stored at
1 ± 1 °C and 85–90% RH. Numbers are the mean ± standard errors of three
replications. (Gardesh et al., 2016).
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which subsequently prolonged the shelf-life up to 4 d and 8 d of storage
period at 4 °C correspondingly. Similar behaviour was also observed for
the whole pears fruit that were stored at 0 ± 1 °C for 30 d and coated
with chitosan, pullulan, and calcium chloride. The fruit demonstrated a
slow decrease of total phenolic and flavonoid content, chlorogenic acid,
arbutin, catechin and caffeic acid, superoxide dismutase and catalase
activities, and total antioxidant activity (Hong Kau et al., 2014). The
authors revealed that the best coating for pears are 2% chitosan and 1%
pullulan as it formed a protective barrier on the fruit surface and
modified the atmosphere around the fruit.
3.2. Citrus
FAOSTAT (2019) reported that citrus is one of the main crops in the
world with a total production of 18.9 million tonnes in 2017. Similar to
the other fresh produce, postharvest losses are the major problem in the
citrus production chain. This led to numerous studies on the preserva-
tion methods of the fruit quality. Nasirifar, Maghsoudlou, and Oliyaei
(2018) studied the impact of carnauba wax coating that mixed with 2%
of montmorillonite nano-clay for prolonging the blood oranges shelf life
and preserving their freshness. The researchers found that the coating
application could improve antioxidant activity, total phenolic content,
total acidity as well as maintained firmness and colour quality of the
fruit that stored at 7 °C for 100 d.
On the other hand, Arnon, Granit, Porat, and Poverenov (2015)
developed a layer by layer polysaccharides-based edible coating for
‘Rishon’ and ‘Michal’ mandarins (Citrus reticulata Blanco) (Fig. 2a). The
authors used a mixture of two polysaccharides; 1) CMC that acted as an
internal layer and 2) chitosan as an external layer. The result demon-
strated that the quality of the citrus fruits such as the gradient of
glossiness and peel colour were evenly improved as depicted in Fig. 2b.
Parafati, Vitale, Restuccia, and Cirvilleri (2016) used locust bean gum
(LBG) enriched with a biocontrol agent such as Wickerhamomyces
anomalus, Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Aureobasidium pullulans to
maintain the quality of mandarin fruits. The authors indicated that
application of biocontrol agents alone or in combination with LBG
could control postharvest decays caused by P. digitatum and P. italicum
in mandarins. In addition, the authors stated that incorporation of yeast
cells as antifungal agent into edible coating solution could improve the
postharvest quality of the fruit. The finding was in agreement with
another study that used sodium alginate (NaAlg) and LBG as a carrier of
the biocontrol yeast (W. anomalus) to inhibit the growth of P. digitatum
on artificially inoculated ‘Valencia’ oranges (Aloui, Licciardello,
Khwaldia, Hamdi, & Restuccia, 2015). The addition of W. anomalus
yeast into the bioactive coating of these two matrices resulted in pro-
mising effect on ‘Valencia’ oranges by decreasing weight loss and pre-
serving fruit firmness for the period of storage as well as decreased
green mold in inoculated fruits by more than 73% after 13 d at 25 °C.
In a recent study, Rasouli, Saba, and Ramezanian (2019) found that
the synergistic effect of salicylic acid and an aloe vera gel coating can
maintain the physicochemical quality and reduce the microbial load of
‘Thomson Navel’ oranges (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) for a storage period
of up to 80 d at 4 ± 1 °C. The authors reported, treatment of oranges
with salicylic acid and an aloe vera gel coating can reduce mal-
ondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage, increase the antioxidant activity,
and reduce the respiration rate and other senescence process during
storage. Reduction in malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage can
minimize the damage of cell membrane by increasing the integrity and
semi-permeability, and reducing the activity of the oxidizing enzymes
of the cell membrane (Aghdam & Bodbodak, 2013). Furthermore, by
maintaining the cellular membrane stability may improve the chilling
tolerance of fruits when stored at low temperature.
3.3. Stone fruits
Stone fruits are referred to as drupes in which an outer fleshy part
B. Maringgal, et al.
Fig. 2. (A) Schematic presentation of the electrostatic deposition method used to form layer by layer edible coatings for mandarin fruits. (B) The effect on the
appearance of a layer by layer coating with different concentrations of chitosan on mandarin fruits (Arnon et al., 2015).
surrounds a shell with a seed inside. The fruits have preferred by con-
sumers because of their organoleptic and nutritive features as well as
bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity. Among the famous
stone fruits in the market are mangos, cherries, peaches, nectarines, and
plums. Stone fruits are easily deteriorated once harvested and their
quality drops over a limited duration varying from several days to one
to two weeks, based on plant species and cultivar. The low-temperature
storage that conventionally applied for deferring the postharvest dete-
rioration process of stone fruits during handling, transport, and com-
mercialization is inefficient in preserving the fruit quality (Paladines
et al., 2014).
Thus, several studies have been conducted to investigate the impact
of edible coatings on stone fruits at low-temperature storage. Paladines
et al. (2014) investigated the impact of rosehip oil with aloe vera gel on
deferring ripening and preserving the postharvest quality of a number
of stone fruits at 20 °C for 6 d. The results indicated that the aloe vera
coating inhibited the formation of ethylene, decreased the respiration
rate and delayed the changes in fruit colour and firmness. Similar
findings concerning the impact of the aloe vera coating were also ob-
served for plums (Martínez-Romero et al., 2017).
Dong and Wang (2018) developed guar gum and ginseng extract
coatings to maintain the quality of sweet cherry for 8 d at 20 °C. The
researchers found that coatings the sweet cherries with ginseng extract
showed a significant delay in the production of malondialdehyde. The
method also effectively reduces weight loss, delay the changes in the
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Trends in Food Science & Technology 96 (2020) 253–267
respiration rate, slow down the changes of TA, SSC, ascorbic acid, total
phenols, and anthocyanins, enhance fruit firmness, and maintain the
membrane integrity during storage. Other materials that have been
used as an edible coating for stone fruits are gum arabic mixed with
calcium chloride on mango (Khaliq, Mohamed, Ding, Ghazali, & Ali,
2016) and sodium alginate on sweet cherry (Chiabrando & Giacalone,
2015). All of the above resulted in excellent effects in preserving the
quality of the fruit and prolonging the fruit shelf-life.
Recently, Cosme Silva et al. (2017) found that mango (Mangifera
indica L. cv. Palmer) fruit treated with chitosan solution can delay the
climacteric peak, water loss, and firmness quality during storage under
ambient temperature (25 ± 2 °C and 85 ± 3% RH) for 20 d. The
researchers also observed a few changes in the SSC, TA, and pH of the
pulp as well as starch degradation in mango. Overall, their findings
suggested that the chitosan edible coating efficiently extent the quality
attributes, reduced mitochondrial respiration, and starch degradation
rate of mango fruit.
Other than fresh stone fruits, growing evidence indicates the posi-
tive impact of edible coatings on the fresh-cut of stone fruits. Salinas-
Roca, Soliva-Fortuny, Welti-Chanes, and Martín-Belloso (2016) de-
monstrated that a mixture of treatment of pulsed light (PL) with an
alginate coating (ALC) and a malic acid (MA) dipping improved the
quality of fresh-cut mango under storage at 4 °C. The authors found that
MA-PL and PL-ALC-MA treatments additively decreased the microbial
population, L. innocua counts by 4.5 and 3.9 logs, respectively.
B. Maringgal, et al. Trends in Food Science & Technology 96 (2020) 253–267

Interestingly, the microbial population in fresh-cut mango showed less

than 6 logs CFU/g over 14 d. Other than that, the researchers also found
that treated mango slices had greater firmness compared to untreated
mango slices. This was reported to be due to the protective effect of the
ALC and PL treatments on the mango slices texture throughout storage.

3.4. Tropical and exotic fruits

There has been an exponential increase to date in the domestic and

international demands for tropical fruits due to the growing recognition
of the nutritional and therapeutic values. In addition, the fresh-cut
tropical fruits have become more popular might due to the nature of
minimally processed refrigeration combined with the interest of con-
sumers in new taste options. Nevertheless, the quality of tropical fruit
during storage is subjected to qualitative and quantitative changes,
which in certain circumstances may result in negative effects. The
quality of tropical fruits tends to degenerate during the storage period
as the fruit is easily subjected to many postharvest diseases because of
the changes in the physiological and physicochemical properties.
Application of edible coatings have demonstrated a positive result in
terms of improving the shelf life and preserving the quality of tropical
fruit. Edible coatings have been applied to preserve the quality of pitaya
(Fan et al., 2018), soursop (Moreno-Hernández, Sáyago-Ayerdi, García-
Galindo, Montes De Oca, & Montalvo-González, 2014), pineapple
(Azarakhsh, Osman, Ghazali, Tan, & Adzahan, 2014), papaya (Mendy,
Misran, Mahmud, & Ismail, 2019; Zillo, da Silva, de Oliveira, da Glo'ria,
& Spoto, 2018), banana (Alali, Awad, Al-Qurashi, & Mohamed, 2018),
longan (Lin, Lasekan, Saari, & Khairunniza-Bejo, 2017), and guava
(Silva et al., 2018; Lo'ay & Taher, 2018; Nair, Saxena, & Kaur, 2018).
All these different tropical fruits have been coated with various natural
substances and have demonstrated significant changes in physico-
chemical properties during storage. Fan et al. (2018) found that the use
of an apple polyphenol (APP) powder dissolving in hyperpure water to
spray coating fresh-cut pitaya demonstrated greater colour retention,
delayed softening, and reduced loss of SSC, TA, betacyanin, and total
phenolics in contrast to the untreated fresh-cut fruit. Moreover, the
findings indicated that APP treatment maintained the antioxidant ac-
tivity and suppressed microbial growth up to 4 d at 20 °C as depicted in
Fig. 3a and b.
Silva et al. (2018) found that guava fruits with a chitosan coating
inhibited the respiratory rate, fresh weight loss, firmness, and skin
Fig. 3. (A) DPPH radical-scavenging activity (A) and reducing power (B) in
colour change by interrupting the degradation of chlorophyll during
fresh-cut pitaya fruit during storage at 20 °C after treatment with APP or water
storage at 25 °C in 96 h. The results also demonstrated that POD in
(control). Vertical bars represent the standard error of the means of quad-
guava was significantly improved, which may be relatively due to ex- ruplicate assays. Asterisks represent values that are significantly different be-
cessive levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thus, it can be con- tween the control and the APP-treated fruit at the same time point (*P < 0.05,
cluded that a chitosan coating efficiently delays the loss of quality **P < 0.01). (B) Microbial colony counts in fresh-cut pitaya fruit during
features in guava fruits because of the elevation in the antioxidant storage at 20 °C after treatment with APP or water (control). Vertical bars re-
processes that delay the ripening process. present the standard error of the means of quadruplicate assays. Asterisks re-
Kumar, Singh, and Koh (2017) evaluated the efficacy of different present values that are significantly different between the control and the APP-
edible coating treatments including calcium chloride, chitosan, sodium treated fruit at the same time point (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01). (Fan et al.,
alginate, and aloe vera gel at varying concentrations on the postharvest 2018).
quality attributes of guava fruit. The fruits were kept at the ambient
temperature of 27–29 °C till 12 d. The authors concluded that that influences the quality, marketability, and shelf life of avocados over the
chitosan with 1.5% coating was superior in decreasing the physiological period of sale. The growth of the use of edible coatings for avocados has
loss in weight (4.83%), decay (9.38%) and maintaining physical qua- received progressive consideration by researchers. On that account, a
lities than other the treatments. A similar finding in the application of study was conducted on ‘Hass’ and ‘Gem’ avocado by dipping the fruit
the edible coating on guava fruit was also demonstrated by Murmu and into an edible coating of CMC containing the extracts of moringa leaf
Mishra (2017) by using chitosan and arabic gum for maintaining the and seed in maintaining the storage quality and controlling disease
quality of fruit during the cold storage period. infection (Tesfay, Magwaza, Mbili, & Mditshwa, 2017). The fruits were
The storage life of avocado fruit tends to be limited through its stored at 21 ± 1 °C with 60% RH. The ethanolic moringa leaf extracts
climacteric ripening pattern that exhibits high ethylene accumulation were found to have greater antimicrobial activity in contrast to the
and stimulates a faster ripening process as the result of a high re- methanol extract. The findings revealed that CMC comprising moringa
spiration rate. Due to this, avocados are known to undergo greater extract could suppress illnesses, extend the shelf-life and preserve the
postharvest mass loss because of moisture loss via transpiration. general quality of avocados. Fig. 4 illustrates the hyphae of C. gloeos-
Furthermore, Sanders and Korsten (2003) observed that postharvest porioides, A. alternate, and L. theobromae, correspondingly, treated with
infection anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Penz.) commonly

261
B. Maringgal, et al.
moringa leaf extracts. The arrows demonstrate the morphological
modifications, such as shrinkage of hyphae (B), broken hyphal strands
(D), and constriction of hyphae (F).
In recent years, the antifungal properties of chitosan have been
widely established. Correa-Pacheco, Bautista-Banos, Valle-Marquina,
and Hernandez-Lopez (2017) incorporated chitosan with thyme essen-
tial oil nanoparticles in inducing resistance constituents in avocados
contrary to anthracnose throughout post-harvest storage. The combi-
nation of chitosan with thyme essential oil nanoparticles notably re-
duced the incidence of C. gloeosporioides on avocado cv. Hass by up to
60% and possessed better maintenance of the firmness retention quality
than the untreated fruit after 8 d of storage period at 27 ± 2 °C.
3.5. Berries
Berry fruits such as blackberry (Rubus species), black raspberry
(Rubus occidentalis), blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), cranberry
(Vaccinium macrocarpon), red raspberry (Rubus idaeus), and strawberry
(Fragaria ananassa) are commonly used in the human diet either fresh
or in processed form. Berries are small fruits that contain high anti-
oxidant benefits. Nonetheless, preventing deterioration and extending
the storage capacity of berry fruits has become the main challenge in
the distribution of premium quality berries as the fruits are easily sus-
ceptible to pathogen attack, over-ripening, and excessive softening.
Numerous researchers have evaluated the effect of an edible coating
on berry fruits. Dhital et al. (2017) studied the integrity of edible nano-
coatings of curcumin and limonene liposomes integrated with methyl
cellulose and its impact on the quality of strawberries exposed to me-
chanical damage through the simulated vibration of local transporta-
tion. Curcumin and limonene liposomes were used as an antimicrobial
active ingredient. The results revealed that a limonene liposome coating
was found to be effective in regulating fungal decay in strawberries
over the storage duration up to 14 d at 4 °C including the TA and total
phenolic content. Nonetheless, the vibrated strawberries had a reduced
shelf life compared to the non-vibrated samples. Notably, the study
concluded that a strong coating, which remains intact during road vi-
bration, is crucial. Preservation of the physicochemical qualities, anti-
fungal control, and extending the shelf life of strawberry fruits
throughout storage has been achieved via different edible coating
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Trends in Food Science & Technology 96 (2020) 253–267
Fig. 4. Scanning electron micrographs demon-
strating the effect of moringa leaf extracts on the
hyphae of the three pathogens. A, C, E represent the
control sets of C. gloeosporioides, A. alternate and L.
theobromae, respectively. The red arrows demon-
strate the morphological modifications, such as
shrinkage of hyphae (B), broken hyphal strands (D)
and constriction of hyphae (F). (Tesfay et al., 2017).
(For interpretation of the references to colour in this
figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web
version of this article.)
materials.
For grape berry fruits, Oh et al. (2017) found that a nano-emulsion
coating with smaller lemongrass oil droplets incorporated with chitosan
revealed higher efficiency in improving microbial safety against Sal-
monella and preserving grape berries for a 28 d storage period at 4 °C.
Moreover, it also demonstrated retention of colour, a slow decrease of
SSC, and reduced antioxidant activity loss in the coated berries. Vieira
et al. (2016) demonstrated a mixture of chitosan and aloe vera liquid
fraction as an edible coating material was highly promising in ex-
panding the shelf life of blueberry fruits at 5 °C storage temperature.
The researchers demonstrated that the microbiological growth and
water loss levels were almost reduced by 50% and 42%, respectively in
coated blueberries after 25 d in contrast to the uncoated blueberries.
Other than that, they also found the uncoated blueberries demonstrated
mold contamination after 2 d of storage (2.0 ± 0.32 log CFU g−1),
whereas blueberries with chitosan-based coatings with aloe vera de-
monstrated mold contamination only after 9 d of storage (1.3 ± 0.35
log CFU g−1). Similarly, Yang et al. (2014) indicated that a chitosan
coating incorporating blueberry leaf extract could enhance the role of
the chitosan coating pertaining to delaying decay and weight loss and
preserving the total phenolic content, and radical scavenging activity of
the fruit during storage at 2 ± 1 °C and 95 ± 2% RH for 35 d, par-
ticularly after working simultaneously with a Modified Atmosphere
Packaging (MAP). The findings of the study recommended that coatings
mixed with leaf extracts have the potential of extending shelf life and
maintaining the nutraceutical benefits of fresh blueberries.
3.6. Melon
Carvalho et al. (2016) stated that most of the cultivated melons are
eaten as value-added particularly fruits, especially for fresh-cut pro-
ducts. Fresh-cut melons are amongst the most profitable fresh-cut fruit
products representing almost 22% of the marketplace (Cook, 2011).
According to Poverenov et al. (2014), the fresh-cut melon easily dete-
riorates because of a variety of quality issues such as softening, juice
leakage, flavour degradation, weight loss, microbial spoilage, and food
safety risks. These problems could be mitigated through the application
of an edible coating as it can enhance the integrity of the fruit during
the physical processing (e.g. peeling and cutting). This consequently
B. Maringgal, et al.
can control the degradation and prolong the shelf life of the fruits
(Dhall, 2013; Mahajan et al., 2014).
Recently, Ortiz-Duarte, Pérez-Cabrera, Artés-Hernández, and
Martínez-Hernández (2019) used an Ag-chitosan nanocomposite to
maintain the quality of fresh-cut ‘Piel de Sapo’ melon over a 13 d storage
period at 5 °C. The researchers also found that the coating reduced the
respiration and ethylene production, as well as produced a better sen-
sory quality with lower translucency and firmness retention compared
to the uncoated samples. Furthermore, the researchers concluded that
this effect could be attributed to the high calcium content in this na-
nocomposite. However, interestingly, the quality of the sugars, organic
acids, and vitamin C content of the fresh-cut melons were not affected
by the synergistic aspects of the Ag-chitosan nanocomposite.
Poverenov et al. (2014) investigated the impact of a layer by layer
electrostatic deposition of reversely charged natural polysaccharides,
polyanion alginate, and polycation chitosan for fresh-cut melon. The
results indicated that layer-by-layer electrostatic deposition edible
coatings had significant advantages pertaining to the fruit firmness, gas
exchange, and microbiological protection at 6 °C storage condition.
Recently, Carvalho et al. (2016) demonstrated that 2% chitosan-based
coating with 500 mg L−1 antimicrobial trans-cinnamaldehyde can
preserve the quality of fresh-cut Cantaloupe melons throughout storage
at 4 °C by preserving total vitamin C, carotenoids, lightness, firmness,
and lower free radical production. This resulted in the stability of
biological membranes with persistent integrity of the fruit tissues to-
gether with reduced antioxidant and browning activity. The researchers
summarised that the chitosan coating could be useful as a physical
barrier to gas exchange by lowering the respiration rate and subse-
quently, oxygen-dependent processes.
3.7. Tomatoes
The tomato is a climacteric fruit that undergoes progressive dete-
rioration after harvesting that leads to a relatively short postharvest
life. In addition, tomato fruit is predisposed to postharvest illnesses
triggered by many pathogenic fungi that can cause significant fiscal
losses. Therefore, an edible coating with antifungal properties has been
widely applied to reduce these symptoms.
A recent study by Salas-Mé;ndez et al. (2019) used nanolaminate
coatings of polyelectrolyte solutions of alginate and chitosan in-
corporated with extracts of Flourensia cernua to extend the shelf life of
tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The synergistic effect of the nanola-
minate coating with Flourensia cernua extracts resulted in decreased
permeability to water and oxygen of tomato fruits over 15 d storage
time at 20 °C and 85% RH compared to uncoated fruits. In addition, the
researchers also found this treatment could maintain the weight loss,
firmness and colour retention, reduce the gas exchange and ethylene
production, which in turn suspended the fruit ripening and provide
antimicrobial effects during storage.
The research by Won, Lee, Park, Song, and Min (2018) investigated
the effect of a chitosan-based coating on cherry tomatoes and demon-
strated a significant protective effect for the fruit against Salmonella that
consequently enhanced the storability of the fruit. A mixture of chitosan
colloid with grape seed extract at different concentrations (0.5, 0.7, 1.0
and 1.2% (w/w)) was found to successfully inhibit the invasion of
Salmonella in cherry tomatoes at 25 °C storage temperature. Abebe,
Tola, and Mohammed (2017) found that a mixture of pectin and chit-
osan resulted in a significant delay in weight loss, disease incidence,
and ripening index as compared to non-coated tomatoes. This technique
prolonged the shelf life up to 16 d at ambient temperature (22 ± 1 °C)
in contrast to the non-coated fruit which was limited to 10 d of storage.
Additionally, the coated tomatoes contain a higher level of ascorbic
acid, lycopene, and phenolic content.
The incorporation of essential oil with the edible coating has also
been practiced due to the antifungal properties of the essential oil. A
previous study by Rodriguez-Garcia et al. (2015) revealed that oregano
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Trends in Food Science & Technology 96 (2020) 253–267
essential oil added with pectin edible coatings indicated that the vo-
latile components found in oregano essential oil inhibited the in vitro
growth of Alternaria alternate.
The coated tomatoes showed an increment of total phenolics as well
as its antioxidant activity compared to uncoated fruit. The authors also
revealed that no fungal decay was observed on the tomatoes during the
entire storage period of 12 d at 12.5 °C.
4. Sensory aspects and consumer acceptability of coated fresh/
fresh-cut fruits
A considerable amount of literature has been published on the
sensory aspects of fresh/fresh-cut fruits. These studies have been dis-
cussed by Yousuf, Qadri, and Srivastava (2018) where the authors de-
scribed that sensory aspect may include appearance, colour, flavour,
and texture of the fresh produce. In addition, the authors explained that
fresh-look appearance is an important attribute to consumer accept-
ability and purchasing the product.
The effect of edible coating on fresh/fresh-cut fruits sensory and
consumer acceptability has been extensively studied. Benitez,
Achaerandio, Sepulcre, and Pujola (2015) obtained that the sensory
panels were favoured the fresh-cut of kiwifruit coated with aloe vera or
chitosan formulated with citric acid compared to chitosan formulated
with acetic acid, alginate coating, and control. However, the authors
added that kiwifruit coated with aloe vera, chitosan formulated with
citric acid and control got the lower scores by panellists after 8 d of
sensory analysis due to undesirable appearance. Özdemir and Gökmen
(2017) reported that pomegranate arils coated with chitosan for-
mulated with ascorbic acid resulted the higher score in sensory analysis
i.e. colour, taste, and aroma after 25 d of refrigerated storage at
5 ± 1 °C. Moreover, the authors found that the sensory panellists did
not realized any off-flavour in pomegranate arils due to the chitosan
incorporated with ascorbic acid coating. Recently, the research finding
by Motamedi et al. (2018) found that carnauba wax incorporated na-
noclay coating at 1.0 w% greatly enhanced ‘Valencia’ orange sensory
acceptability where the sensory panellist gave the highest hedonic
scores due the excellent of colour, juiciness, aroma, and flavour after
56 d storage period at 4 °C and 80% RH.
In contrast, the study by Tomadoni, Moreira, Pereda, and Ponce
(2018) indicated that gellan based coating containing antimicrobial
agent were not able to prolong the shelf life of strawberries slices in
term of sensory scores. This is due to the coated strawberries slices were
unable to maintain the firmness, off-odour, and microbial load that was
found on the samples after 7 d of refrigerated storage. Besides, Yousuf
et al. (2018) also explained in their systematic review that the use of
edible coatings containing essential oils as antimicrobial agents may
affect the sensory aspect especially aroma of the fresh-cut fruits.
Azarakhsh et al. (2014) studied the impact of alginate-based coating
containing 0.5% lemongrass oil of pineapple slices and found sig-
nificant reduction of the sensory scores.
5. Recent advancements in edible coatings and challenges
In parallel with the advancement of technology, the edible coating
methods as well as the coating materials and constituents are progres-
sively improving for better efficacy and most importantly zero health
risk. The increasing demand for the consumption of fresh commodities
which are chemical free has raised considerable attention to im-
plementing nonchemical preserving methods. The discoveries of ap-
plying a combination of an edible coating and radiation have revealed a
tremendous impact on extending the shelf life of fresh/fresh-cut fruits
(Ashtari, Khademi, Soufbaf, Afsharmanesh, & Sarcheshmeh, 2019). The
finding demonstrated that gamma irradiation in 1, 3 and 5 kGy doses
significantly reduced the microbial population and maintained the
qualitative attributes of arils in pomegranate cv. Malas-e-Saveh when
compared with the control. However, the samples exposed to 5 kGy
B. Maringgal, et al.
Fig. 5. Micrographs of longan fruit tissues. A-B Untreated longan fruits; C-D UV irradiation followed by chitosan-based coating. IC (Intercellular Space) (Lin et al.,
2017).
doses of gamma irradiation showed reduced SSC, TA, phenol, antho-
cyanin and ascorbic acid content, antioxidant capacity, and PPO ac-
tivity.
The combination of UV radiation with other preservative methods
has achieved great success in reducing decay, controlling natural in-
fections, reducing the respiration rate, controlling rot development, and
maintaining the overall quality of postharvest fruits and vegetables.
Researchers Lin et al. (2017) found that the application of UV treatment
followed by a chitosan coating was shown to be the superior treatment
combination for controlling enzymatic activities and lowering the se-
nescence rate of longan fruits. The findings revealed that UV plus a
chitosan coating demonstrated significantly lowered PPO and pheny-
lalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activities besides retaining better cell
structure with less intercellular space and with significant damage re-
duction (Fig. 5). However, there has been an increase in the level of
consumer awareness concerning the hazards of the application of ra-
diation in recent years. Consequently, this has led to a decrease in the
confidence of consumers on the products. Due to this, the acceptance of
the consumers is comparatively low with regard to the implementation
of radiation treatment on fruits. Excessive radiation exposure has been
reported to trigger the development of free radicals that can lead to
oxidative injuries and damage in fruit tissues as well as DNA frag-
mentation (Mahajan et al., 2014). Increasing the dosage of irradiation
will cause impairment of ethylene, increase the incidence and severity
of scald, and cause tissue breakdown.
Currently, essential oils have received increased attention as a
substitute to be applied to provide added-value due to its natural an-
timicrobial properties. Moreover, essential oils are frequently studied
antimicrobial constituents that can be integrated into edible coatings. A
variety of essential oils such as thyme, Mexican lime, lemongrass, cin-
namon, and castor oil have shown to be useful against the postharvest
disease by the capability of the constituents releasing natural anti-
microbials (Carvalho et al., 2016; Oliveira et al., 2019; Perdones,
Chiralt, & Vargas, 2016). Recently, Oliveira et al. (2019) have assessed
the potential of antifungal activity of essential oils of Eucalyptus stai-
geriana, Lippia sidoides and Pimenta pseudo-caryophyllus associated with
carboxymethylcellulose against Colletotrichum acutatum in strawberries.
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Trends in Food Science & Technology 96 (2020) 253–267
The authors discovered that Lippia sidoides essential oil showed the
highest antifungal activity using in vitro and in vivo assays.
Similarly, Kim, Oh, Lee, Song, and Min (2014) has inoculated grape
berry with Salmonella and Escherichia coli and at that point exposed it to
a carnauba wax -lemongrass oil nano-emulsions. This treatment de-
creased Salmonella and Escherichia coli counts by greater than 3.2 and
2.6 log CFU/g, correspondingly, resulting in remarkable modifications
in its flavour and glossiness. Additionally, this treatment was also ac-
countable for the preservation of firmness, phenolic compound con-
centration, and the antioxidant activity of grape berries at 4 °C and
25 °C for 28 d. However, despite its function as a natural preservative,
an essential oil is expensive, highly volatile, possesses a strong aroma,
and oxidizes rapidly, which alters the sensory properties of the fresh/
fresh-cut produce. These properties consequently reduce its value that
will consequently lead to postharvest losses.
Another postharvest technology that can complement MAP is the
use of a silk fibroin coating to extend the shelf life of fruits. Marelli,
Brenckle, Kaplan, and Omenetto (2016) described that silk fibroin is a
structured protein, like collagen, but with a unique feature. Silk fibroin
can be produced from the extrusion of an amino-acidic suspension by a
living complex organism while collagen is produced in the extracellular
space by the self-assembly of cell-produced monomers. These useful
criteria are a great option in food packaging application. In addition,
silk fibroin materials are environmentally friendly.
In addition, Marelli et al. (2016) demonstrated that silk fibroin
coatings can prolong the freshness of strawberry fruits up to 14 d by
slowing down fruit respiration, extending fruit firmness, and preventing
dehydration at 22 °C storage temperature. In a seminal study, Liu et al.
(2019) examined the effects of fibroin treatment on the chilling injury
of banana fruit. The authors found that fibroin treatment decreased the
chilling injury rate, increased the total soluble sugars, and reduced the
respiration rate in banana fruit during storage. Despite its function for
fruit preservation, the silk fibroin coating may still contain small
amounts of metal elements that may not be suitable for human con-
sumption. These issues consequently reduce the commercial value of
silk fibroin. Further study should focus on the residual amount of metal
elements and the toxicity level of the fruits coated with silk fibroin.
B. Maringgal, et al.
Lately, there has been increased interest in the use of nano-
technology solutions to enhance the functionality of edible coatings.
Nano-systems in edible coatings are innovative strategies for food
preservation. Liu et al. (2017) have developed a nanocomposite coating
by using soy protein isolate (SPI) and nano silicon oxide (SiOx) to ex-
tend the shelf life of apple fruits. The researchers indicated edible
coatings can be applied as temporal distribution systems that discharge
active substances from a matricial film to the apple fruit in order to
increase the shelf life. Fernandez, Picouet, and Lloret (2010) established
a cellulose-silver nanoparticle hybrid material merged with MAP for the
preservation of fresh-cut melon kept at 4 °C for 10 d. The findings in-
dicated that it delayed the senescence of the fresh-cut melon, demon-
strated considerably fewer yeast counts and sustained a juicier exterior
following 10 d of storage, and extended the shelf life of fresh-cut melon
by 5 d in contrast to the controls. In terms of safety, the larger surface
area of the nano-material provided superior contact to the cell mem-
brane that led to a better capability of absorption and migration of the
nano-material into the fresh-cut produce. However, the migration of
nano-sized material into fruits may affect the sensory aspect and is
postulated to exhibit toxicity that may harm the consumers.
6. Potential and recent commercial application of edible coating
for fresh/fresh-cut fruits
The promising and significant effects of edible coatings for preser-
ving the quality of fresh/fresh-cut fruits have promoted an increasing
number of companies to produce edible coating products derived en-
tirely from organic-based sources. Recently, the company “Apeel
Sciences” based in California invented novel Edipeel ™ as a transparent
and safe edible coating which is formulated from a mixture of mono-
acylglycerides or fatty acid monoesters of glycerol, primarily 2,3-di-
hydroxypropyl palmitate, and 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl palmitate. The
edible coating formulation was approved by the FDA and has been
GRAS. The product can extend the shelf life of produce by about five
times more than without the coating by reducing the water loss, in-
hibiting the oxidation process and decreasing the microbial activities
(Apeel Sciences, 2018). In addition, Mironenko (2018) reported that
middle retailers or farmers would seek Edipeel ™ as a functional edible
coating due to the advantage of product shelf life expansion. It also
provides the farmer with the potential to harvest at the point of max-
imum maturity and deliver the fruits intact, increasing the nutritional
value, and sensory perception when consumed.
Similarly, an edible coating product by a Mexican company named
“Aloe Eco Park”, has created Aloecoat 1-Bio that can be used as a
polysaccharide-based edible coating. The coating main ingredients are
acemannan and other two constituents are in aloe vera, cinnamic acid,
and chrysophanic acid which provided fungal protection, reduced the
respiration rate, maintained the firmness and extended the shelf life of
fruits (Aloe Eco Park, 2018). A company named “Decco” developed an
edible coating named Decco Shield, which could be used on fruits such
as pome fruits, citrus, stone fruits, and melons. The company claims it
has solved the apple quality issues in export markets and allows packers
to maximize the benefits of each individual apple. Furthermore, it was
reported that Decco Shield can maintain firmness retention, weight loss
retention, act as a physical barrier to pathogens, and delays the de-
velopment of scald as well as maintaining the natural appearance of
apples (Deco Decco Postharvest, 2018). The coating is made from mi-
cronized calcium carbonate.
Research findings by a company with the name “Eden Agritech” in
Bangkok revealed their product named Naturen™. It is an edible coating
mainly made from the exoskeleton of crustaceans, plants, and acidic
fruits. The product was approved by the FDA, Halal certified, and de-
scribed as allergen-free and eco-friendly. Naturen™ has been identified
to extend the shelf life, slow down the ripening process, reduce the
transpiration rate, provides anti-browning, and antimicrobial features
for fresh-cut produce. Naturen™ could also be applicable for other
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Trends in Food Science & Technology 96 (2020) 253–267
tropical fruits such as durian and this could be an advantage for Asian
fruit exporters and retailers (Eden Agritech, 2018). Overall, although all
of these commercial coatings are claimed to be effective for preserving
and prolonging fruit quality, however scientific findings on these claims
are limited or almost non-existence. Further scientific studies should be
conducted to justify the claims.
7. Future trends
Further, edible coatings have great potential in assisting fruit ex-
porters and sellers to maintain the quality of fresh/fresh-cut fruits
throughout storage. According to a review of published scientific re-
ports over the past five years, the recent advancements in edible coat-
ings such as the combination of an edible coating with irradiation
treatment, plant-based essential oils, and nano-material technology has
produced a groundbreaking coating possess with the potential to pre-
serve the physicochemical properties of fruits during storage. With re-
spect to cost-effectiveness and its application at an industrial level,
edible coatings coupled with the recent technologies are still in-
adequate from the economic perspective. Consequently, the fruit ex-
porters and sellers have generally not employed the new coating
technologies and they continue with the same traditional coating
method which is not practical anymore and, in some cases, can cause
harm to consumers. Consumers however, are becoming more and more
educated day by day and they are progressively demanding healthy
foods and lifestyles. A balanced supply and demand between the food
industries and consumers could perhaps be directed to consistent de-
velopment and improvement of edible coating methods.
Nevertheless, every developing method has its shortcomings and
restrictions. The prolonged shelf life of fresh/fresh-cut fruits without
reducing the sensory and nutritional characteristics is the main chal-
lenge, which demands attention for future research. On the other hand,
several studies concerning innovative and economically effective edible
coatings for fruits are at the preliminary stage of development and at
the investigation stage before large scale industrial application. There
are limitations to find new coating materials due to the requirement
that compounds possess the specific attributes, flavour, and interaction
between elements that otherwise could result in changes in the sensory
profile. On the subject of the development of novel edible coating
materials, this is expected to emerge based on a detailed understanding
of biochemistry and the interactions with physicochemical, anti-
microbial, potential toxicity, and incorporating risk assessment.
Fundamentally, further progress is required in terms of coating mate-
rials especially in terms of the migration of minerals, the nutritional
value and efficiency, the cost-effectiveness ratio along with recent
technological strategies to ensure and promote the shelf life and
maintain the quality of the coated fresh/fresh-cut fruits.
8. Conclusions
This review presents a comprehensive study of the effect of edible
coatings with favourable findings to increase the safety and prolong the
shelf life of fresh/fresh-cut fruits. The highlighted fresh/fresh-cut fruit
categories were pome fruits (apple and pear), citrus, stone fruits, tro-
pical and exotic, berries, tomatoes and avocado. An edible coating
provides a significant effect as a postharvest treatment and provides
promising outcomes to protect the physicochemical properties of fresh/
fresh-cut fruits, control the respiration rate, provide antimicrobial fea-
tures, maintain the nutrition, and ensure the antioxidant potential
during the storage and transportation period. The application of in-
novative edible coatings should be promoted to fulfil the progressively
increasing customer demands and provide an adequate shelf life during
the distribution system.
B. Maringgal, et al.
Contributions
Bernard Maringgal carried out the literature review and performed
the main writing part. Norhashila Hashim supported the study by
providing financial assistance sourced from her funded research grant,
provided the concept and structure of the manuscript and supervised
the study as well as giving her advice on the manuscript. Intan Syafinaz
Mohamed Amin Tawakkal and Mahmud Tengku Muda Mohamed
worked on the manuscript, and in particular reviewed the content and
revised the text.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests to dis-
close that might be perceived as affecting the objectivity of this review.
Acknowledgments
The authors are thankful to Universiti Putra Malaysia for providing
financial support under the Grant Putra research funding (GP-IPS/
9633300).
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