Researchers from National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) have developed a low cost polysaccharide-based coating from wheat straw and oat bran that, when sprayed on the surface of apples, prevents their decay during storage and transportation.
Apples are picked in the month of September- October in the himlaliyan region of India. From there, they are supplied throughout the country for the whole year. Apples are one of the most common fruits with high storage capabilities in cold storages. Unfortunately, India has a very scarce and disrupted cold chain network due to which apples face issues of post harvest losses during the storage and transportation.
There are polymer based edible coatings available in the marker which are extensoively used but cannot efficiently check moisture loss from apples during storage and transit. And the animal-based lipid coatings are harmful to human health.
In order to invent an efficient and safe coating, scientists from the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute in Mohali used wheat straws (waste left after wheat cultivation) and oat bran to develop a composite material using polysaccharides isolated from them.
The researchers applied the coating on fresh apples and documented the results of its effects based on various parameters and compared them with the results from untreated apples and apples treated with polymer coatings. They found that the new coating significantly reduced the weight loss, respiration rate, fruit-softening and fruit-ripening processes and colour detoriaration as compared to the other apples during a 30 days storage period.
The formulation helped retain the apples’ firmness and prevented the loss of volatile compounds that contribute to apples’ distinct aroma. The coating is non-toxic to specific human cells. It remarkably reduced fruit decay by limiting disease incidence.
The researchers say that the formulation has the potential to be an alternative to animal-based lipid coatings for improving the quality and post-harvest storage life of apples.
Links-
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32057861/
- https://indusdictum.com/2020/02/16/nafbi-scientists-develop-edible-coating-materials-to-improve-shelf-life-of-fruits-vegetables/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0144861719300025?via%3Dihub#! (ACCESS REQUIRED)
- https://www.foodpackagingforum.org/news/researchers-develop-inexpensive-edible-coating-for-fruits
–Surbhit Godha
–19 July 2020
vardhmanagrofresh.food.blog 