Edible coatings may be used on the surface of fresh berry fruits to modify the internal atmosphere, decrease the transpiration loss, and delay the ripening during postharvest storage and handling. Meanwhile, certain coating materials, such as chitosan has strong antifungal ability against Botrytis cinerea and Rhizopus sp., the two main fungi causing the decay of berry fruits. Therefore, edible coating technology, when designed and applied correctly, is an effective means to control decay and extend shelf-life of some berry fruits. In addition, edible coatings may provide an excellent vehicle to further enhance health benefit of berry fruits where the lack of some important nutraceuticals, such as vitamin E and calcium may be compensated by incorporating them into the coatings. This chapter briefly discusses the concepts and means of applying edible coatings on the surface of berry fruits and gives a review of the research conducted in the author's laboratory in the development of edible coatings and their demonstrations on a broad range of berry fruits, including strawberries, raspberries, hardy kiwifruits, and blueberries.
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