NEHA KUMARI, TANWEER ALAM AND ALKA SHARMA*
Department of Food Technology, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar-125 001 (Haryana), India
*(e-mail: alkasharma@gjust.org; Mobile: 98121 55510)
(Received: May 18, 2025; Accepted: June 20, 2025)
ABSTRACT
Strawberry is a very popular fruit among the Indian population as a luxury fruit and also in fruit processing industry to prepare jam, jellies and juices but due to its very short shelf-life its post-harvest losses are very high. Natural resin like shellac (SH) which comes under GRAS along with sodium alginate was used as an edible coating material to reduce the post- harvest losses of strawberry. The coated samples were keep at refrigerated temperature (4±1°C) in different packaging conditions. Results demonstrated that shellac-alginate (SH-ALG) composite coatings significantly reduced weight loss and maintained fruit firmness compared to uncoated samples. The composite coating effectively maintained total soluble solid and titratable acidity levels, while enhancing retention of bioactive compounds including total phenolics and antioxidant capacity. The combination of SH-ALG coating with airtight polyethylene terephthalate packaging was most effective in maintaining strawberry quality and extending shelf-life. These findings suggest that shellac-alginate composite coatings represent a promising sustainable approach for strawberry preservation, offering an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic packaging materials while maintaining fruit quality and nutritional value during storage.
Key words: Natural resin, composite coating, post-harvest losses, strawberry