Cellulose-Based Transparent Edible Antibacterial Oxygen-Barrier Coating for Long-Term Fruit Preservation

Long-term preservation of fresh fruit and vegetables without a cold chain is a great challenge to food security because fruits and vegetables are highly vulnerable to poor storage conditions. Fruit spoilage is a complex biochemical process that involves many factors, including microbial reproduction, oxidation, metabolism, and H₂O evaporation. Only the synergy of the multiple spoilage inhibition methods can achieve long-term freshness preservation. Herein, a multifunctional cellulose-based preservation coating with antibacterial, oxygen/water vapor barrier, and antioxidant properties is proposed, which is based on cellulose microgel (CMG) and prepared using multi-component composites with montmorillonite (MMT), cationic cellulose derivative (Cell-P⁺), and L-ascorbic acid (Vc). It has good wetting properties on fruits with different surfaces. This method can successfully preserve the long-term freshness of various fruits. This highly transparent, edible, and washable multifunctional cellulose-based fruit preservation coating can improve the quality of agricultural products, extend the shelf life of food, and reduce the cost of cold-chain transportation.