Film-forming coating waxes and wash-water sanitizers u2014 carnauba wax, shellac, and peracetic acid u2014 for produce grading lines: gloss and moisture-loss control on fruit, plus dump-tank and flume sanitation.
Post-harvest coatings are thin surface films applied to fresh produce on thenpacking line to slow water loss and restore the gloss that washing removes. The twonworkhorse film-formers are carnauba wax, a hard plant wax that gives a durable high-glossnlayer, and shellac, a resin that forms a tighter, shinier film. Peracetic acid is thencompanion wash-water sanitizer used upstream in dump tanks and flumes; it is not a coatingnitself. Specify the coating by commodity and target finish, not by a single wax.
nnCarnauba and shellac are usually blended rather than used alone. Carnauba is breathablenand tolerant of handling; shellac seals more completely and shines more, but a heavy shellacnfilm can restrict gas exchange enough to cause anaerobic, fermentation-type off-flavors innsome commodities. That gas-exchange trade-off is the central formulation tension. A commonnstarting point is a carnauba-dominant blend with shellac added for gloss, then adjusted perncommodity and storage duration.
nnGrade and food-contact status are the decisive specification, not the wax chemistry alone.nCarnauba and shellac are UVCB naturals sold in technical and refined grades, and only certainngrades are intended for food-contact use; confirm regulatory status for your application andnjurisdiction before use on edible produce. For wash-water sanitation, peracetic acid is dosednin the flume or dump tank and decomposes to acetic acid, oxygen, and water, leaving nonchlorinated residue.
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