Recent advances in edible coatings for fresh and minimally processed fruits

The development of new edible coatings with improved functionality and performance for fresh and minimally processed fruits is one of the challenges of the post harvest industry. In the past few years, research efforts have focused on the design of new eco-friendly coatings based on biodegradable polymers, which not only reduce the requirements of packaging but also lead to the conversion of by-products of the food industry into value added film-forming components. This work reviews the different coating formulations and applications available at present, as well as the main results of the most recent investigations carried out on the topic. Traditionally, edible coatings have been used as a barrier to minimize water loss and delay the natural senescence of coated fruits through selective permeability to gases. However, the new generation of edible coatings is being especially designed to allow the incorporation and/or controlled release of antioxidants, vitamins, nutraceuticals, and natural antimicrobial agents by means of the application of promising technologies such as nanoencapsulation and the layer-by-layer assembly.