Potential applications and limitations of edible coatings for maintaining tomato quality and shelf life
Haile Tesfaye Duguma
Abstract
Summary Tomato is among the most commercialised fruits due to its high nutritional value and health‐promoting compounds. However, tomatoes have a short shelf life and plastic packaging materials are used to mitigate perishability. Nevertheless, the exhaustion of nonrenewable natural resources used to produce plastics and demand for eco‐friendly packaging entailed search for other alternatives. Edible coatings have emerged as an effective and environmentally friendly alternative to protect fruits from physical and chemical deterioration, and microbial spoilage. Edible coating can be produced from natural raw materials such as lipids, proteins and polysaccharides. The aim of this review was to assess the recent scientific literature regarding the application of edible coatings in maintaining quality and enhancing shelf life of tomatoes. This review has collected and analysed the most recent studies about the application of edible coatings of tomato. The available literature has indicated that different edible coatings have the potential to maintain physico‐chemical and sensory qualities and improve shelf life of tomatoes. Despite several benefits, edible coatings have poor barrier properties, and some of edible coatings impart undesirable flavour on produce. The review suggests that blending edible coatings with essential oil and active compounds using nanotechnologies could be used to overcome the limitations of edible coatings.