Novel postharvest intervention using rice bran wax edible coating for shelf-life enhancement of Solanum lycopersicum fruit

The edible coating is considered as one of the most-effective and safer ways to prolong the shelf-stability of the horticultural crops. Utilization of rice bran wax (RBW) as a coating substrate can be an excellent shelf-life extension strategy by transforming secondary by-product from rice processing into a useful coating substrate. This research was an attempt to use RBW as an edible coating and its effects on the shelf-life extension of Marutham CO3 variety tomatoes. Crude RBW refined in laboratory-scale was undergone for free fatty acid profile analysis and found that contains 18 health-beneficial free fatty acids. RBW was made into an emulsion with different concentrations used for coating the tomatoes. Physiological loss weight, lycopene content, TSS, firmness, respiration rate, SEM structure, and thickness of the coatings were analyzed and observed that 10% emulsion coated tomatoes had shown a shelf-life of 27 days, compared to 18 days of the control samples. Practical applications The concept of edible coating is one of the current global research trends that involve in the formulation of primary packaging material for food products that can be ingested safely along with the food. It is a cost-effective and sustainable solution to reduce the environmental pollution caused by conventional polymer packaging solutions. Rice bran wax is a secondary by-product separated from the rice bran oil during refining. It has good applicability in the formation of lipid-based edible coatings, after refining and removal of crude resinous matter. It is a hydrophobic substance and avoids moisture loss from the product during storage. Due to its water repellency, it also avoids microbial infestation. It can be beneficially used for horticultural crops, owing to their low shelf life due to high moisture content and metabolic activity. The rice bran wax-based coating can also delay the ripening process by modifying the immediate environment of the product. This coating can be used for high valued horticultural produce that tends to ripen or shrivel sooner. It can also be used as an obstruction against enzymatic browning in cut fruits and vegetables and for minimally processed and packaged foods. Rice bran wax-based edible coating can be used for shelf-life extension of horticultural produce and also for milk (e.g., Cheese) and meat (e.g., Cut meat) products.