The disclosure includes novel food coatings and methods of preserving foods and of protecting against damage and/or spoilage to improve appearance, shelf life, and marketability of the foods. The food coatings involve a chitosan solution including chitosan, an organic acid, and a sulfite salt. The food coatings are edible and may create a film on food that protects the food from discoloration, mold growth, and spoilage. The chitosan solution may be applied by spraying, immersion, wiping, fogging, etc. The chitosan solution is show to extend shelf-life of at least catfish, beef steak, hamburger, fruit, vegetables, and berries.

The disclosure includes novel food coatings and methods of preserving foods and of protecting against damage and/or spoilage to improve appearance, shelf life, and marketability of the foods. The food coatings involve a chitosan solution including chitosan, an organic acid, and a sulfite salt. The food coatings are edible and may create a film on food that protects the food from discoloration, mold growth, and spoilage. The chitosan solution may be applied by spraying, immersion, wiping, fogging, etc. The chitosan solution is show to extend shelf-life of at least catfish, beef steak, hamburger, fruit, vegetables, and berries.

The present invention relates to a method for forming a protective coating on a plant tissue following the consecutives steps of: (a) providing a plant having an external surface, wherein a portion of the external surface includes an exposed surface; (b) applying a first aqueous solution that contains a crosslinking agent to the external surface of the plant; and (c) applying to the external surface of the plant a second aqueous solution that contains a polysaccharide which is susceptible to crosslinking by the crosslinking agent, thereby forming a protective coating on the exposed surface of the plant. Further provided is a postharvest plant matter that includes a first segment covered by natural skin, and a second segment having an exposed surface that is coated by a protective coating that contains a polysaccharide with the first segment being essentially free of the protective coating.

The present invention relates to a method for forming a protective coating on a plant tissue following the consecutives steps of: (a) providing a plant having an external surface, wherein a portion of the external surface includes an exposed surface; (b) applying a first aqueous solution that contains a crosslinking agent to the external surface of the plant; and (c) applying to the external surface of the plant a second aqueous solution that contains a polysaccharide which is susceptible to crosslinking by the crosslinking agent, thereby forming a protective coating on the exposed surface of the plant. Further provided is a postharvest plant matter that includes a first segment covered by natural skin, and a second segment having an exposed surface that is coated by a protective coating that contains a polysaccharide with the first segment being essentially free of the protective coating.

Provided is a method of preparing kimchi powder. The method includes preparing kimchi, aging and storing the kimchi at low temperature, freeze-drying the kimchi, and grinding the kimchi into powder, wherein, in the aging and storing of the kimchi at low temperature, the kimchi is aged and stored at −2° C. for three months, and the freeze-drying of the kimchi is performed after the aging and storing of the kimchi at low temperature is performed.

The present invention provides a method for treating crops in field or in a processing facility comprising the steps of producing a dry composition comprising a metabisulphite, a benzoate salt and a cellulose additive; preparing said dry composition as a formulation; and applying the formulation to a crop, wherein said treatment is for prevention or reduction of crop damage by plant pathogens, or reduction of bacterial, fungal or human pathogens.

An improved system and method for treating, precooling, and handling perishable products uses a mobile container enhanced with increased capacity refrigeration and air flow to recirculate functional substances including sanitizers, and ripening management and conditioning agents across the surface of palletized perishable products during the precooling step. As the perishable is precooled, the system integrates humidity control to reduce dehydration. Sanitizing substances are dispensed into the recirculating air to significantly reduce micro-organisms on the surface coming from the field and avoid recontamination from the cooling warehouse. Conditioning and ripening management substances are recirculated to enable managing the ripeness of a perishable to a target. The mobile container is modified from a standard intermodal container or over-the-road semi-trailer. The enhanced forced air and/or refrigeration equipment is contained within the container and/or mounted on the top and/or side exterior of the container and can accomplish rapid cooling. The system and method has thus combined rapid cooling, reduced dehydration, reduced surface micro-organism contamination, and conditioning or ripeness control for enhanced quality and shelf life. The mobile container is able to operate independently outside of a refrigerated warehouse used for storage and distribution of the cooled perishable product. The materials of construction used and operational independence enable safely using highly active sanitizing, ripening management, and other functional substances. The mobile container can be located near harvest or facilities with no colling assets. A combined system using conveyors and operational controls provides automated handling of the perishables from receiving, through precooling and treatment, preferably to a MAP process, and then distribution.

An improved system and method for treating, precooling, and handling perishable products uses a mobile container enhanced with increased capacity refrigeration and air flow to recirculate functional substances including sanitizers, and ripening management and conditioning agents across the surface of palletized perishable products during the precooling step. As the perishable is precooled, the system integrates humidity control to reduce dehydration. Sanitizing substances are dispensed into the recirculating air to significantly reduce micro-organisms on the surface coming from the field and avoid recontamination from the cooling warehouse. Conditioning and ripening management substances are recirculated to enable managing the ripeness of a perishable to a target. The mobile container is modified from a standard intermodal container or over-the-road semi-trailer. The enhanced forced air and/or refrigeration equipment is contained within the container and/or mounted on the top and/or side exterior of the container and can accomplish rapid cooling. The system and method has thus combined rapid cooling, reduced dehydration, reduced surface micro-organism contamination, and conditioning or ripeness control for enhanced quality and shelf life. The mobile container is able to operate independently outside of a refrigerated warehouse used for storage and distribution of the cooled perishable product. The materials of construction used and operational independence enable safely using highly active sanitizing, ripening management, and other functional substances. The mobile container can be located near harvest or facilities with no colling assets. A combined system using conveyors and operational controls provides automated handling of the perishables from receiving, through precooling and treatment, preferably to a MAP process, and then distribution.

A process for producing a nanoemulsion formulation comprising the following main stages: (a) extraction of natural antioxidants from peels or seeds of fruits, vegetables or cereals, wherein the extraction is carried out with pure water, with a concentration of the extracted natural antioxidants with a vacuum distillation method between 0.5-15 inHg at 20-60° C. for 10-95 minutes until the concentration of the extracted natural antioxidants is between 10-50 wt % and then a tangential nanofiltration of the concentrated natural antioxidants; (b) encapsulation of the natural antioxidants; (c) formation of a nanoemulsion; and (d) cryodrying of the formed nanoemulsion.

Provided is a novel method that makes it possible to easily sterilize spores and the like in a highly safe manner. A method for producing radicals according to the present invention includes a generation step of generating radicals through photoirradiation of a radical generation source, and the peak wavelength of light used in the photoirradiation is greater than UV wavelengths and 600 nm or less. Also, a method for sterilizing spores according to the present invention includes a treatment step of generating radicals through photoirradiation of a radical generation source and treating spores with the radicals, and the peak wavelength of light used in the photoirradiation is greater than UV wavelengths and 600 nm or less. The peak wavelength is, for example, 405 to 470 nm.