Fresh strawberries are delicious, but the bright red juicy fruit is easily susceptible to bruising and highly perishable. However, a new study in the August issue of the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), found that edible active coatings (EACs) based on pectin, pullulan and chitosan may improve quality and shelf life of strawberries.
According to IFT, researchers from Mexico “discovered that EACs incorporated with sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate reduced fruit softening, reduced microbial growth, preserved the color, flavor and texture of strawberries, and increased the shelf life of strawberries from six to 15 days.”