FAISALABAD - Scientists from the National Institute of Food Science & Technology, (NIFSAT) University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) have started innovative Edible Coating technology under the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pak-US joint project to extend the shelf life of different fruits by using various types of edible based coating materials.
This was revealed by Principal Investigator of the Project Dr Masood Sadiq Butt while briefing the food scientists regarding the breakthrough here the other day. While giving details of the project, he said “the core objective of the project is to curtail the post-harvest losses and improve nutritional attributes of various fruits.”
Dr Butt maintained that the process of edible films involves the development of the edible based coating materials and their application on the fruits by dipping and spraying.
“These coatings act as a barrier towards the weight loss due to evaporation of water and protects from other environmental factors detrimental to the fruits,” he added.
Dr Masood Sadiq told the food scientists that different kinds of coating materials are being used including chitosan, whey protein, starch, alginate and soy protein based edible compounds for the purpose. He said research is being conducted on different kinds of fruits like apple, mango, apricot and strawberry coated with different coatings.
It is worth mentioning that most of the fruits are perishable commodities and spoiled due to different environmental factors. So to enhance their shelf life, different techniques are used.