Aulal Muna, Rizky Aflaha, Syahla Salsabila, David Rusliman, Kuwat Triyana, Aditya Rianjanu, Condro Wibowo, Hutomo Suryo Wasisto
High yield loss in tomatoes due to suboptimal post-harvest handling and storage demands innovation in preservation technology that is effective and environmentally friendly. Here, we develop polysaccharide-based layer-by-layer edible coatings made of chitosan and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (chitosan/HPMC) and evaluate their effectiveness for extending the shelf-life of fresh tomatoes using three different application methods (i.e., dipping, air-gun spraying, and manual air-pressure spraying). The coating films are formulated and characterized based on physical, mechanical, and permeability properties. The coated tomatoes have a significantly improved storability of 12 days longer than their uncoated counterpart. Among the investigated application methods, air-gun spraying proves to be the most effective, consistent, and practical method for implementing chitosan/HPMC layer-by-layer on fresh tomatoes. It can limit final weight loss to 7.27%, maintain firmness at 5.44 MPa, and retain ∼68% of the total soluble solids after 24 days of storage. These findings provide an important foundation to design efficient edible coating strategies for sustainable post-harvest preservation. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2026
Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Jl. Dr Soeparno No. 63, Purwokerto, 53122, Indonesia; PT Foodfuture Icon Nusantara, Purwokerto, 53146, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Sekip Utara, BLS 21, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia; Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Terusan Ryacudu, Way Hui, Lampung Selatan, Jati Agung, 35365, Indonesia; Center for Green and Sustainable Materials, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Terusan Ryacudu, Way Hui, Lampung, Jati Agung, 35365, Indonesia; PT Biostark Analitika Inovasi, Bandung, 40375, Indonesia