Researchers at India’s Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) are developing a biodegradable fruit coating that should prolong the shelf life of mangoes and guavas.
CIPHET scientist Dr Ramesh Kumar explained to Indian website IBNLive that the treatment process required fruit was dipped in a starch-based solution, which, on cooling, formed a transparent biodegradable film that acted as a semi permeable membrane; limiting the movement of oxygen, while allowing the exchange of water vapour. It was more successful in this regard than conventional wax coatings and other plastic covering materials, he added.
Research had shown the bio-coating could extend the shelf life of mangoes by up to four days, while the coating also gave fruit an attractive sheen, he added.
The starch-based coating could be made out of a range of products, including rice, cassava, chitosan, and turmeric. Clinical trials of the coating are still being carried out before it is made available commercially.
