Emerging trends in biopolymer edible coatings for enhancing the shelf life of neglected and underutilized crops
Neglected and underutilized species (NUS) are nutrient-dense crops, offering high concentrations of essential nutrients relative to their calorie content. These crops are increasingly explored for their potential to meet global consumption demands while promoting ecosystem biodiversity sustainably....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Food Science and Technology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frfst.2025.1641117/full |
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| author | Sarah R. Mathura Rohanie Maharaj Nicolas Ratkovich |
| author_facet | Sarah R. Mathura Rohanie Maharaj Nicolas Ratkovich |
| author_sort | Sarah R. Mathura |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Neglected and underutilized species (NUS) are nutrient-dense crops, offering high concentrations of essential nutrients relative to their calorie content. These crops are increasingly explored for their potential to meet global consumption demands while promoting ecosystem biodiversity sustainably. However, their commercialization has been limited by short shelf life and significant postharvest losses. One promising solution is the use of biopolymer edible coatings as an alternative to plastic packaging, which could extend the shelf life of these crops. This review examines research conducted over the past decade on preserving underutilized crops with biopolymer coatings and suggests potential directions for future studies. It covers the sources of biopolymer coatings, their benefits and drawbacks, application methods, and strategies to overcome challenges associated with different biopolymers. While various coating formulations have shown promising results, the commercialization of these coatings for underutilized crops remains limited. The review also identifies key research gaps that must be addressed to bridge this gap. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-54f30ee54ae544ecb577a9b605eb12d5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2674-1121 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Food Science and Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-54f30ee54ae544ecb577a9b605eb12d52025-08-20T04:00:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Food Science and Technology2674-11212025-08-01510.3389/frfst.2025.16411171641117Emerging trends in biopolymer edible coatings for enhancing the shelf life of neglected and underutilized cropsSarah R. Mathura0Rohanie Maharaj1Nicolas Ratkovich2The Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and TobagoFood Science and Technology Unit, The Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and TobagoDepartment of Chemical and Food Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, ColombiaNeglected and underutilized species (NUS) are nutrient-dense crops, offering high concentrations of essential nutrients relative to their calorie content. These crops are increasingly explored for their potential to meet global consumption demands while promoting ecosystem biodiversity sustainably. However, their commercialization has been limited by short shelf life and significant postharvest losses. One promising solution is the use of biopolymer edible coatings as an alternative to plastic packaging, which could extend the shelf life of these crops. This review examines research conducted over the past decade on preserving underutilized crops with biopolymer coatings and suggests potential directions for future studies. It covers the sources of biopolymer coatings, their benefits and drawbacks, application methods, and strategies to overcome challenges associated with different biopolymers. While various coating formulations have shown promising results, the commercialization of these coatings for underutilized crops remains limited. The review also identifies key research gaps that must be addressed to bridge this gap.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frfst.2025.1641117/fulledible coatingneglected and underutilized speciespostharvestbiopolymerfruits and vegetables |
| spellingShingle | Sarah R. Mathura Rohanie Maharaj Nicolas Ratkovich Emerging trends in biopolymer edible coatings for enhancing the shelf life of neglected and underutilized crops Frontiers in Food Science and Technology edible coating neglected and underutilized species postharvest biopolymer fruits and vegetables |
| title | Emerging trends in biopolymer edible coatings for enhancing the shelf life of neglected and underutilized crops |
| title_full | Emerging trends in biopolymer edible coatings for enhancing the shelf life of neglected and underutilized crops |
| title_fullStr | Emerging trends in biopolymer edible coatings for enhancing the shelf life of neglected and underutilized crops |
| title_full_unstemmed | Emerging trends in biopolymer edible coatings for enhancing the shelf life of neglected and underutilized crops |
| title_short | Emerging trends in biopolymer edible coatings for enhancing the shelf life of neglected and underutilized crops |
| title_sort | emerging trends in biopolymer edible coatings for enhancing the shelf life of neglected and underutilized crops |
| topic | edible coating neglected and underutilized species postharvest biopolymer fruits and vegetables |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frfst.2025.1641117/full |
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