A team of scientists from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Iztapalapa (UAM-I), obtained the patent for a coating for the post-harvest conservation of fruits and vegetables.
The coating they developed is biodegradable, prolongs the post-harvest life of food, prevents the evaporation of moisture from vegetables, and has an antioxidant effect on these edible species, stated Dr. Concepcion Keiko Shirai Matsumoto, the leader of this research. One of the main innovations of this development, she added, is that it is generated from safe, bioactive, and easily applied natural materials, such as chitosan. This maintains the post-harvest quality of the products for fresh consumption.
It's an alternative to conventional refrigeration, atmosphere modification, and use of chemicals to maintain the product's post-harvest quality, the professor stated.
Flavor and color
The research group worked with Oaxacan farmers who focused on exotic fruits that are not native to America but have a substantial market in the United States, Canada, and Europe. "Lychee and rambutan are expensive Asian species that have acclimatized very well to Mexico, where -unlike California- they have the appropriate climatic conditions and are sown with very good quality."
The prototype of this coating was used in these fruits of the Sapindaceae family. However, the coating may serve to extend the shelf life of other products, such as papaya and mango. "The direct interaction with the farmers of Oaxaca was very interesting because we had the opportunity to try the product on the fruit in the fields, in the areas where lychee and rambutan are grown, in the spaces where they are packaged for marketing abroad. It was a great experience because we go to see how the coating works in a real environment to see how effective it was," she added.
Source: cronica.com.mx