ACS Food Science & Technology researchers claim a chitosan-based coating can preserve avocados for longer periods. Researchers at the American Chemical Society (ACS) have defined avocados as being “notoriously finicky, going from pale green and firm to brown and mushy in the blink of an eye”. As well as producing a chitosan-based coating, the researchers have developed an imaging technique that they claim can be used to “quickly predict their shelf life”.
The researchers explained that they have developed techniques to delay ripening, using compounds such as 1-methyl-cyclopropene (1-MCP). More recently, studies have shown that naturally-derived chitosan (a biomaterial derived from shellfish exoskeletons) imparts antimicrobial activity when applied as a coating to fruits, including avocados.
Source: newfoodmagazine.com