Assam: IIT Guwahati develops edible coatings to extend the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables

The India Institution of Technology (IIT) Guwahati researchers, led by Prof. Vimal Katiyar, Department of Chemical Engineering and Center for Excellence in Sustainable Polymers (CoE-SusPol), have developed an edible coating to extend the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables. 

These vegetables, including potatoes, tomatoes, green chile, and strawberries, as well as apples, pineapples, and kiwifruits, were tested to see if the coating material, which will reduce waste, could keep them fresh for close to two months.

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) goal 12.3, which aims to reduce food losses along the production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses, may be achieved, according to the researchers at IIT Guwahati.

The research team consisted of Professors Vimal Katiyar and Vaibhav V. Goud from the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Guwahati and the CoE-SusPol at IIT Guwahati, as well as their research assistants Kona Mondal, Tabli Ghosh, Mandavi Goswami, Shikha Sharma, and Sonu Kumar, made up the research team.
Prof. Vimal Katiyar, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Guwahati, and CuSPol, IIT Guwahati, emphasized the necessity of this research by stating, "According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, between 4.6 and 15.9% of fruits and vegetables go to waste post-harvest, partly due to poor storage conditions." In actuality, post-harvest losses in some crop items, such as potatoes, onions, and tomatoes, which might be as high as 19%, lead to high pricing for this in-demand good. "

The IIT Guwahati team created protective, ingestible films for coating plants and fruits by combining a micro-algae extract with polysaccharides. The marine microalga Dunaliella tertiolecta has a number of bioactive substances, including carotenoids, proteins, and polysaccharides, and is well known for its antioxidant qualities.