Disclosed herein are embodiments of a composition for use in forming films or coatings that prevent damage in foodstuffs, including plants, fruits, and vegetables. The disclosed compositions comprise a cellulose nanomaterial and can further comprise a nanoscale mineral compound and one or more additional components. Also disclosed are films or coatings made using the disclosed compositions, as well as methods for making the disclosed compositions and methods for using the disclosed compositions.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to plant extract compositions and methods to isolate cutin-derived monomers, oligomers, and mixtures thereof for application in agricultural coating formulations, and in particular, to methods of preparing plant extract compositions that include functionalized and non-functionalized fatty acids and fatty esters (as well as their oligomers and mixtures thereof), which are substantially free from accompanying plant-derived compounds (e.g., proteins, polysaccharides, phenols, lignans, aromatic acids, terpenoids, flavonoids, carotenoids, alkaloids, alcohols, alkanes, and aldehydes) and can be used in agricultural coating formulations.

A process for the application of a predetermined amount of oil to food pieces comprises: (a) providing or receiving a plurality of cut or shaped food pieces; (b) applying an oil-water emulsion to the food pieces for a time sufficient to provide a predetermined amount of oil to the food pieces and so that the food pieces have an initial moisture level after applying the oil-water emulsion; and (c) reducing the initial moisture level, in the absence of frying in oil, to a moisture level of from about 0.2 to about 80% by weight to provide a cooked food product, comprising said predetermined amount of oil, wherein step (c) does not comprises frying the food pieces in hot oil.

A method for guiding a sales strategy of loquat fruits by evaluating and predicting quality of the loquat fruits is provided. The method slices and stains an equatorial plane of an loquat fruit and calculates a lignified cell density P of the equatorial plane of the loquat fruit, so as to guide a current price of a batch of loquat fruits. The current price of the loquat fruits increases as P decreases. The method analyzes a growth stage of the lignified cells and predicts a quality change trend value T of the batch of loquat fruits, so as to guide a storage strategy based on T. The loquat fruits are suitable for storage and transportation when T is high, and the loquat fruits need to be sold as soon as possible when T is low.

Disclosed are embodiments of a composition including propanoic acid, a C.sub.4 acid salt, and a component selected from a C.sub.2-C.sub.5 acid ester and a C.sub.2-C.sub.8 aldehyde and combinations thereof. The composition is provided in an aqueous medium. Each of the propanoic acid and the C.sub.4 acid salt are independently present in an amount at least partially sufficient to provide to said composition a pH greater than about 4.4.

A method for predicting the quality and shelf life of fruits or vegetables includes: recording ambient temperatures of the fruits or vegetables continuously using a temperature recorder from the beginning of plucking the fruits or vegetables and throughout entire supply chain including harvesting, grading, storage, transport and shelf period, determining an effective accumulated temperature value of the fruits during the entire supply chain, and predicting marketable fruit rate and nutritional quality of the fruits based on the effective accumulated temperature value. The marketable fruit rate, firmness and vitamin C content negatively correlate with the accumulated temperature value, and thus it is possible to predict the marketable fruit rate and storage quality of fruits based on the effective accumulated temperature values of the fruits or vegetables during the post-harvest storage and shelf period.

A method for predicting the quality and shelf life of fruits or vegetables includes: recording ambient temperatures of the fruits or vegetables continuously using a temperature recorder from the beginning of plucking the fruits or vegetables and throughout entire supply chain including harvesting, grading, storage, transport and shelf period, determining an effective accumulated temperature value of the fruits during the entire supply chain, and predicting marketable fruit rate and nutritional quality of the fruits based on the effective accumulated temperature value. The marketable fruit rate, firmness and vitamin C content negatively correlate with the accumulated temperature value, and thus it is possible to predict the marketable fruit rate and storage quality of fruits based on the effective accumulated temperature values of the fruits or vegetables during the post-harvest storage and shelf period.

A container includes a metal end applied and sealed to an all-thermoplastic container body by a crimp-seaming or double-seaming operation. The metal end has an outer curl joined to a chuck wall that extends down from the curl. One or both of the inner surface of the container side wall and the outer surface of the chuck wall has/have a heat-sealable material thereon. The metal end is crimp-seamed or double-seamed to the container body and the heat-sealable material(s) are heated to soften or melt such that the interface between the chuck wall and the side wall is fused. The interface is oriented along a direction relative to internal pressure exerted on the metal end such that stress on the interface caused by the internal pressure is predominantly shear stress.

A food preserving method is a method for preserving food using a food film (34A), (34B). The food film (34A), (34B) has a surface which has a plurality of raised portions (34Ap), (34Bp). The two-dimensional size of the plurality of raised portions (34Ap), (34Bp) is in a range of more than 20 nm and less than 500 nm when viewed in a direction normal to the food film (34A), (34B). The method includes bringing the food into direct contact with the surface.

A food preserving method is a method for preserving food using a food film (34A), (34B). The food film (34A), (34B) has a surface which has a plurality of raised portions (34Ap), (34Bp). The two-dimensional size of the plurality of raised portions (34Ap), (34Bp) is in a range of more than 20 nm and less than 500 nm when viewed in a direction normal to the food film (34A), (34B). The method includes bringing the food into direct contact with the surface.