Recent Advances in the Application Technologies of Surface Coatings for Fruits

Globally, the proportion of the consumption of fruits in the human diet shows an increasing trend. However, fruits may incur significant losses during the post-harvest storage and transportation process due to metabolic activities and mechanical damage. Post-harvest coating technology has been proven to be an effective means of reducing quality loss, and it offers the advantages of being environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and free of chemical residues. This article begins with an introduction to the three main mechanisms of coating preservation, including physical barrier effects, physiological metabolism regulation, and antibacterial and antioxidant effects. Secondly, this paper comprehensively reviews the latest progress of coating application technology in the field of fruit preservation, and summarizes the development of coating application technology in recent years, which is divided into two categories: traditional technology and fiber coating formation technology. Among these, the spraying method in traditional technology and microfluidic spinning technology in fiber coating formation technology are emphasized. This information will help to further develop coating application techniques to improve post-harvest fruit preservation.