Advancements in post-harvest techniques for preserving fresh produce: a comprehensive review

One of the biggest constraints in the food industry is the economic transportation of healthy food products with reduced post-harvest losses. Edible coatings are bio-based films applied to fruits and vegetables to enhance their shelf life during post-harvest storage and distribution. This review critically evaluates recent advances in edible coating and packaging technologies for post-harvest preservation of fruits and vegetables. Food packaging designed from nature's building blocks, such as sugars, amino acids, and fats, has long reflected exemplary success in maintaining the freshness and quality of fresh foods. The literature is categorised into polysaccharide, protein, lipid-based, and composite edible coatings, as well as active and intelligent packaging systems. Emerging technologies, especially 3D printing, hold great promise for developing unprecedented surface topography and tailored features, enabling the controlled addition of beneficial compounds. In contrast, food packaging is a functional barrier, offering essential protection against environmental assailants such as UV light, oxygen, microbial penetration, and water vapor. Freshness-retaining packaging technologies employ agents such as antioxidants, charcoal for gas management, and moisture managers, which play a valuable role in preserving the quality and nutritional content. Across the reviewed studies, these systems demonstrated shelf-life extensions ranging from several days to multiple weeks, along with reduced weight loss, delayed microbial spoilage, and improved physicochemical quality. Further, the growing use of intelligent packaging with sensors and freshness indicators enables real-time quality and safety inspections along the supply chain. Despite these advancements, challenges remain regarding large-scale applicability, cost-effectiveness, sensory acceptance, and regulatory standardisation. This study concludes that a sensible, well-designed blend of tailored food wraps and advanced storage protocols forms a strong alliance with high potential to jointly provide robust protection, conserve nutrients, and substantially prolong the freshness of a variety of fresh produce.