Edible Films and Coatings for Postharvest Sensory Quality and Shelf-Life Preservation in Horticultural Products

Dear Colleagues,

Postharvest deterioration remains a major limitation affecting the commercialization, sustainability, and consumer acceptance of horticultural products. Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable commodities whose sensory and nutritional quality may decline rapidly due to water loss, softening, microbial decay, oxidative processes, physiological disorders, and changes in aroma, flavor, texture, and appearance during storage and distribution.

Edible films and coatings have emerged as promising postharvest tools to preserve quality and extend shelf life by acting as protective barriers and carriers of functional compounds. These systems can regulate gas exchange and moisture transfer, reduce microbial growth, delay senescence, maintain sensory attributes, and improve the overall stability of fresh and minimally processed horticultural products.

For this Special Issue, we welcome the submission of original research articles, reviews, and case studies that focus on the design, characterization, and application of edible films and coatings for postharvest preservation. Topics of interest include natural polymers, composite films, active coatings, antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds, essential oils, microencapsulation, controlled-release systems, nanostructured materials, barrier properties, sensory quality, aroma and flavor preservation, shelf-life extension, disease control, and sustainable alternatives to conventional packaging.

Contributions that integrate physicochemical, microbiological, physiological, sensory, metabolomic, or omics-based approaches are particularly encouraged, especially those that address practical strategies to reduce postharvest losses while maintaining quality and consumer acceptance of horticultural products.

Dr. Ernesto Oregel-Zamudio
Dr. Alessio Allegra
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• edible films
• edible coatings
• postharvest preservation
• sensory quality
• shelf-life extension
• active coatings
• barrier properties
• aroma and flavor
• antimicrobial compounds
• sustainable packaging