Saving Fresh-Cut Kiwifruits: A New Film to Extend Shelf Life

Fresh-cut fruits are popular for their convenience and nutritional value, but their shelf life is often short due to tissue damage. To tackle this issue, scientists have developed a special film made from cornstarch. This film can trap ethylene, a gas that makes fruits ripen too quickly, and also acts as an antioxidant to prevent spoilage. The film was tested on fresh-cut kiwifruits and showed impressive results. After 72 hours, the kiwifruits covered with this film had less spoilage and were harder compared to those wrapped in regular plastic film. In fact, the film could extend the freshness of kiwifruits from just 3 days to an impressive 15 days.Scientists used advanced techniques like metabolomics and transcriptomics to understand how this film works. They found that it helps regulate ethylene levels and balances the metabolism of reactive oxygen species. This leads to reduced sugar production, which in turn helps maintain the freshness of the fruit. These discoveries could pave the way for creating better packaging materials to keep fresh-cut fruits fresh for longer.