Question

How to supply fruits from one state to another without rottening?

Answer 1

A key way to minimise the amount of food lost is through post harvest technology, which can help make food last longer without losing nutrients. Once developed, it needs to be integrated into the global supply chain of food production.

The use of natural biodegradable products as an alternative to synthetic chemicals has shown remarkable improvements in maintaining fruit quality and extending shelf life.

Hope it helps

Answer 2

Answer: The use of natural biodegradable products as an alternative to synthetic chemicals has shown remarkable improvements in maintaining fruit quality and extending shelf life. These natural products are non-toxic to humans and safe.

Chitosan, for example, is a natural product obtained from crustacean shells. It has been shown to significantly maintain papaya fruit when applied to it. In combination with Gum Arabic (hardened sap obtained from the acacia tree) it can also delay the ripening of bananas. Gum Arabic can also be used on its own to enhance the shelf life and postharvest quality of tomatoes. Cinnamon oil is another natural product that has been shown to delay postharvest rotting in bananas and extending their storage life for up to 28 days.

Our research at the Centre of Excellence for Post-harvest Biotechnology at Nottingham University’s Malaysia Campus is making these natural products into nano-forms or submicron particles to control postharvest diseases. This technology has so far been used to delay ripening in tomatoes and enhance their phenolic content, as well as extending the life of dragon fruit for up to 28 days. These are just a few examples, with many more being developed to improve the quality and shelf life of fresh fruit to help stop it going to waste.