An important part of our work in preserving fresh fruit and vegetables is clearing up misconceptions. We are often asked: “Can't you just put edible packaging around it?” And we are already in the middle of one of the biggest misunderstandings when it comes to keeping fruit fresh: the different purposes of coating, i.e. the “edible wrapping around the fruit”, and antioxidants for keeping processed fruit and vegetables fresh.​

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Coating vs. antioxidants

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The strong demand for a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables has caused international availability to skyrocket in recent years. Many fruits that were previously only known as seasonal fruits are now often available internationally all year round. The perishable fruit places considerable demands on the logistics involved. There are numerous challenges to overcome on the way from the harvest to the retailers' shelves. One of these is to protect the fruit from drying out on the sometimes long transportation routes. A coating keeps the liquid in the fruit and prevents the perishable product from shrinking. The first coating solutions relied on sealing with wax and current solutions speak of “edible packaging”. A coating therefore always applies to the whole fruit and is intended to keep it fresh during transportation to the shelf.

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Antioxidants set in after the natural skin of the fruit has been damaged during further processing. In a fresh fruit salad, the grapes may still be protected by their natural skin - all other fruits are peeled, cut and prepared in such a way that the valuable fruit content without the skin is in the foreground. From the time of further processing, however, the fruit flesh is susceptible to the oxidation process, which changes the appearance and sometimes also the taste of the cut fruit and vegetables. Preservatives to prevent oxidation, such as vitamin C, protect the cut or peeled fruit and open up new possibilities for fresh products, particularly in the convenience sector. In addition, high-quality antioxidants do not require elaborate packaging with a protective atmosphere.

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A good complement

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The different purposes of the two solutions quickly make it clear that they are not mutually exclusive. Coating the whole fruit and the use of antioxidants in the subsequent refinement process complement each other very well and ensure the high quality of the finished product.

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Do you process fresh fruit or vegetables? We have been working closely with the industry for many years and have developed many individual solutions for specific preservation requirements. Talk to us.