Optimizing Postharvest Edible Coatings for Fruit and Vegetables with Plant-Based Polysaccharides

Polysaccharide-based edible coatings are increasingly explored as sustainable strategies for maintaining quality of fresh produce, acting as barriers to gas exchange while improving mechanical and optical properties. However, their effectiveness depends not only on the intrinsic features but also on the structural and physiological diversity of fruits and vegetables, which vary in peel composition, hydrophobicity, and texture. This study investigated plant-derived polysaccharide films (cassava starch, potato starch, corn starch, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, and pectin) characterized for moisture resistance, solubility, permeability, thermal stability, hydrophilicity, opacity, gloss, and mechanical strength. Concurrently, different fruits and vegetables (fruit, root, and tubers) were analyzed for their surface hydrophilicity to establish correlations between film properties and peel characteristics. The findings emphasize that no single polymer can be universally applied. In addition, the choice of matrix must be guided by both film functionality and produce surface traits. Starch-based films presented high hydrophilicity, suggesting better wettability, while pectin and cellulose derivatives presented distinct advantages for less hydrophilic peels. This work highlights the importance of tailoring edible coatings according to the physicochemical compatibility between films and fresh produce surfaces, providing insights for improving post-harvest preservation strategies and guiding the development of effective, sustainable coatings for diverse horticultural commodities.