In the past few decades, fruits have been increasingly consumed, leading to an increase in global fruit production. However, fresh produce is susceptible to large losses during production and preservation. In the postharvest preservation stage, fruits undergo various technical treatments for maintaining their quality. A widely adopted technology is the application of edible coatings, which can be applied to a diverse range of fruits to regulate the exchange of moisture and gases between the fruit and its environment. In addition, edible coatings provide a significant benefit by allowing the integration of different active ingredients into the coating’s matrix, meaning that these substances will associate with and possibly be eaten together with the fruit. This would help improve the organoleptic and nutritional qualities of the fruit as well as the shelf life. This paper provides an overview of the available data on the typical components used in coating matrix, focusing on the effect of the material combinations and application techniques to fruit properties. The processors can use this knowledge in choosing a suitable coating material and concentration for various fresh and fresh-cut fruits. Additionally, this paper reviews recent developments and limitations in utilizing edible coatings for prolonging the shelf-life of fruits.

Fruit juice and wine are important beverages that are consumed all over the world. Due to their constantly increasing demand and high value, fruit juice and wine are one of the most frequent targets of adulteration. Since adulterated foods are proven to have harmful effects on health, several approaches have been utilized for the detection of fruit juice and wine adulteration. Based on the requirement for sample destruction, analytical techniques to assess food authenticity can be classified into 2 main categories, i.e., destructive and non-destructive techniques. This paper provides an overview on the principle of adulteration detection, its application and performance, and the advantages and limitations of various analytical techniques. Destructive approaches, such as physicochemical methods, isotope analysis, elemental analysis, chromatographic techniques, and DNA-based techniques, are reviewed. Furthermore, non-destructive approaches, including spectroscopic-based techniques, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic technique, electronic techniques, and imaging-based techniques, are discussed.

Growing concerns about food safety and waste have increased consumer demand for high-quality agricultural products, particularly at the postharvest stage. This demand has prompted the development of non-destructive methods to assess or inspect the internal quality of fruits and vegetables. The backscattering imaging technique, also known as diffuse reflectance imaging, is considered a highly promising approach. Numerous studies have focused on practical applications, using laser light at selected wavelengths to develop quick multispectral methods. Due to the rapid interaction of photons with biological tissue, together with the highly computational performance of machine vision, backscattering imaging can offer a valuable alternative to traditional methods. Its primary benefits include quick measurements without chemical sample preparation, easy integration with high-throughput automatic quality control, and reduced waste, since this non-destructive technique does not damage samples. This review presents a comprehensive overview of backscattering imaging, including the measurement geometry, data analysis, and design considerations for vision systems. Additionally, it explores this technique’s advantages, challenges, and accuracy, as demonstrated using various case studies.

The aim of this work was to evaluate how 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment affects appearance of plum fruit. Fruit of ‘Angeleno’ and ‘Topend’ cultivars were treated with 625 ppb gaseous 1-MCP at 1 °C for 24 h after harvest. Samples without treatment, called control, and those subjected to the treatment were stored at 1 °C for 8 weeks (Topend) and 10 weeks (Angeleno). The subgroup of initial samples and those withdrawn from cold storage were also measured after 7 d storage at 20 °C. According to measured parameters of ethylene, CO₂ production, firmness, and total soluble solids content, there was a clear difference between 1-MCP- treated and control samples for both cultivars. Color attributes of hue angle and saturation changed significantly during storage, especially for flesh color measured on fruit cut in half. The comparison revealed that saturation responded more sensitively to changes. Firmness correlated significantly with color attributes, and flesh saturation reached the highest value of Pearson’s correlation of r = 0.608 (p < 0.01) and Spearman’s rank correlation of ρ = 0.636 (p < 0.01). The specific plum color was also evaluated with a normalized blue value, which obtained significant linear correlation with firmness (r = −0.7414, p < 0.001). There was significant difference between cultivars in terms of surface color and its correlation with firmness as Pearson’s correlation obtained r = 0.833 (p < 0.001) for ‘Topend’ and r = 0.556 (p > 0.05) for ‘Angeleno’.

In this study, cassava starch oxidized by the electrolysis was used as an edible coating to improve the shelf life of banana fruits. The effects of coating in solutions of electrolyzed starch with 1, 2 and 3% ( w/v ) gelatin and without gelatin addition on respiratory rate and biochemical...

Water yam starch, distinguished by its high amylose content and small granule size, presents significant potential for diverse industrial applications through targeted structural modifications. This study systematically examined the combined effects of partial acid hydrolysis and retrogradation on the structural and rheological properties of water yam starch to enhance its functional utility. Acid hydrolysis resulted in a reduction of starch chain length, as indicated by increased reducing power, while subsequent retrogradation facilitated molecular re-association, leading to an increase in relative crystallinity. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed these structural transformations, revealing diminished peak intensities in hydrolyzed starch and enhanced crystallinity in retrograded samples. Rheological assessments demonstrated substantial alterations in pasting behavior due to these modifications. Hydrolysis lowered pasting and peak temperatures while increasing peak and final viscosities, whereas retrogradation further influenced these parameters, similarly reducing pasting and peak temperatures while enhancing viscosity profiles. All modified starches exhibited Herschel-Bulkley (pseudoplastic) fluid, with retrograded samples displaying lower maximum shear stress compared to hydrolyzed counterparts. Oscillatory rheometry revealed predominantly viscous behavior across all samples (loss modulus exceeding storage modulus), though select modifications contributed to increased elasticity. These findings underscore the efficacy of controlled hydrolysis and retrogradation in precisely tuning the physicochemical properties of water yam starch, yielding materials with thixotropic behavior and adjustable viscosity. The results highlight the potential of modified water yam starch for applications in food, pharmaceuticals, and biodegradable packaging, emphasizing its versatility as a sustainable and functional biopolymer.