edible films and vegetables.pdfVIP

Chapter 7 Edible Films and Coatings for Fruits and Vegetables Guadalupe I. Olivas and Gustavo Barbosa-Cánovas 7.1 Introduction There is a growing trend toward increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. According to the USDA, fresh fruit consumption in the United States in 2000 was 28% above average annual fruit consumption of the 1970s, and fresh vegetable consumption was 26% above average annual vegetable consumption for the same period (USDA 2001 –2002). Higher consumption of fruits and vegetables has been associated with growing inter