Stabilization and controlled release of gaseous/volatile active compounds to improve safety and quality of fresh produce

Publication date: Available online 16 November 2019Source: Trends in Food Science & TechnologyAuthor(s): Mo Chen, Xi Chen, Soumi Ray, Kit YamAbstractBackgroundGaseous/volatile active compounds are effective tools for pre-harvest and postharvest management/preservation of fresh produce, e.g., 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and ethylene for regulating ripening, and chlorine dioxide (ClO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) for inhibiting microbial growth. Various approaches for their stabilization and controlled release have been developed to improve the safety and maintain the quality of fresh produce.Scope and approachThis paper reviews and categorizes the approaches to stabilize and control the release of selected active compounds, including 1-MCP, ClO2, ethylene, SO2, and essential oils. Knowledge and research gaps are also discussed. Examples of some commercially available systems are used to demonstrate how to stabilize and achieve controlled release for different applications and purposes.Key findings and conclusionVarious methods can be used to develop formulations/compositions in different forms to achieve stabilization and controlled release. Since moisture/water is often used to initiate the release, most methods focus on controlling water penetration into the formulation/composition. Among various forms of application, fumigation in storage rooms is the most commonly applied. There is also a growing interest to develop controlled release packaging systems. More efforts are need...
Source: Trends in Food Science and Technology - Category: Food Science Source Type: research