The volume presents existing and novel management approaches that are in use or have a great potential to be used to maintain the postharvest quality of fresh produce in terms of microbiological safety, nutrition, and sensory quality. In comparison to traditional synthetic chemicals, these eco-friendly molecules are equally effective with respect to slowing the physiological and biochemical changes in harvested produce. Application of terpenic compounds, phenolic compounds, salicylic acid, methyl jasmonates, hydrogen peroxide, ethanol, sulphur compounds, polyamines, plant growth regulators, active carbohydrates, ozone, hexanal and nitric oxide have been proven effective in minimizing storage disorders like chilling injury, scald, fungal diseases like stem-end rot, blue mould rot, green mould rot, anthracnose, regulation of ripening and senescence, etc. This book will be a standard reference work for the management of shelf life in the fresh produce industry.

Witnesses: Emily Feistritzer, Executive Director, Center for Educational Information, Wash., DC; Katrina Robertson Reed, Associate Superintendent for Administrative Services, District of Columbia Public Schools, Wash., DC; Robert Strauss, Professor of Economics and Public Policy, The H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management, Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA; Beverly Young, Associate Director for Teacher Education and K-12 Programs, California State University, Long Beach, CA; and Marci Kanstoroom, Research Director, Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, and Research Fellow, Manhattan Institute, Washington, DC.

Since the publication of the first edition of this text, ever-increasing coatings research has led to many developments in the field. Updated and completely revised with the latest discoveries, this text is a critical resource for all those involved in buying, selling, regulating, developing, or using coatings to improve the quality and safety of foods. Topics discussed in this volume include materials and properties of coatings, how they present barriers to gases and water vapors, how they can improve or harm appearance, and regulation issues. The book also discusses how to apply coatings to various commodities, and how they can function as carriers of additives.