Storage and/or transportation of produce, flowers and plants
The disclosure relates to methods and compositions for improving storage, transportation, or both, of food, flowers, plants, seeds, nuts, and other products. The products may be coated with at least one or more of silk fibroin, chitin, acetylated monoglycerides, shellac, starch, high fructose corn syrup, mayauba wax maydelilla wax, beeswax, vegetable oil, paraffin oil, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, cellulose, pectin, alginate, chitosan, gum Arabic, soy protein, zein, casein, whey, or other coatings that may extend the shelf life, improve transport, protect product quality and freshness, safety, or a combination of the same. The coatings may include edible and non-edible coatings.
1 . A method of increasing the efficiency of a transport system, wherein the transport system transports a product, stores a product, or both, and wherein the product is at least one of food, flowers, and plants, and comprises at least one of edible proteins, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, pet food, and animal feed, the method comprising:
coating at least part of the surface of the product, which is initially uncoated, with a substance to create a coated product, wherein the substance is selected from the group consisting of one or more of: silk fibroin, chitin, acetylated monoglycerides, shellac, starch, high fructose corn syrup, mayauba wax, maydelilla wax, beeswax, vegetable oil, paraffin oil, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, cellulose, pectin, alginate, chitosan, gum Arabic, soy protein, zein, casein, and whey;
wherein the product is coated pre-harvest to create a coated product;
wherein the coating is washed off the coated product during processing after shipment to create an uncoated product; and
thereby increasing the efficiency of the transport system, wherein the efficiency is increased by increasing freight capacity of the transport system.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further including at least one of a step of transporting and a step of storing the coated product in the transport system for a period of time.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the freight capacity of the system is the weight of the product, wherein the transport system has a first freight capacity for uncoated product and a second freight capacity for coated product, and wherein the second freight capacity is increased by at least 5% compared to the first freight capacity.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the second freight capacity is increased by at least 15% compared to the first freight capacity.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the freight capacity of the system is the volume utilization of the transport system, wherein the transport system has a first freight capacity for uncoated product and a second freight capacity for coated product, and wherein the second freight capacity is increased by at least 5% compared to the first freight capacity.
6 . A method of increasing the efficiency of a transport system, wherein the transport system transports a product, stores a product, or does both, and wherein the product is at least one of food, flowers, and plants, and comprises at least one of edible proteins, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, pet food, and animal feed, the method comprising:
coating at least part of the surface of the product, which is initially uncoated, with a substance to create a coated product, wherein the substance is selected from the group consisting of at least one of: silk fibroin, chitin, acetylated monoglycerides, shellac, starch, high fructose corn syrup, mayauba wax, maydelilla wax, beeswax, vegetable oil, paraffin oil, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, cellulose, pectin, alginate, chitosan, gum Arabic, soy protein, zein, casein, and whey;
wherein the product is coated during harvest to create a coated product;
wherein the coating is washed off the coated product during processing after shipment to create an uncoated product; and
thereby increasing freight capacity of the transport system.
7 . The method of claim 6 , further including at least one of a step of transporting and a step of storing the coated product in the transport system for a period of time.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the freight capacity of the system is the weight of the product, wherein the transport system has a first freight capacity for uncoated product and a second freight capacity for coated product, and wherein the second freight capacity is increased by at least 5% compared to the first freight capacity.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the second freight capacity is increased by at least 15% compared to the first freight capacity.
10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the freight capacity of the system is the volume utilization of the transport system, wherein the transport system has a first freight capacity for uncoated product and a second freight capacity for coated product, and wherein the second freight capacity is increased by at least 5% compared to the first freight capacity.
11 . A method of increasing the performance of a transport system having a performance variable, wherein the transport system transports a product, stores a product, or does both, and wherein the product is at least one of food, flowers, and plants, and comprises at least one of edible proteins, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, pet food, and animal feed, the method comprising:
coating at least part of the surface of the product, which is initially uncoated, with a substance to create a coated product, wherein the substance is selected from the group of at least one of: silk fibroin, chitin, acetylated monoglycerides, shellac, starch, high fructose corn syrup, mayauba wax, maydelilla wax, beeswax, vegetable oil, paraffin oil, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, cellulose, pectin, alginate, chitosan, gum Arabic, soy protein, zein, casein, and whey;
wherein the product is coated pre-harvest to create a coated product;
wherein the coating is washed off the coated product during processing after shipment to create an uncoated product; and
thereby increasing the performance of the transport system.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further including at least one of a step of transporting and a step of storing the coated product in the transport system for a period of time.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein increasing the performance of the transport system further comprises the step of improving a performance variable of the coated product compared to the uncoated product when transported, stored, or both, in the transport system.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the performance variable of the product is one of the following: color, structural integrity, respiration rate, microbial load, yellowing, wilting, bounce back, taste, odor, temperature, insulative effect, UV filtering effect, and rot.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein yellowing of the product is reduced by at least 5%.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein wilting of the product is reduced by at least 5%.
17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein rot of the product is decreased by at least 5%.
18 . A method of increasing the performance of a transport system having a performance variable, wherein the transport system transports a product, stores a product, or does both, and wherein the product is at least one of food, flowers, and plants, and comprises at least on one of edible proteins, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, pet food, and animal feed, the method comprising:
coating at least part of the surface of the product, which is initially uncoated, with a substance to create a coated product, wherein the substance is selected from the group of at least one of: silk fibroin, chitin, acetylated monoglycerides, shellac, starch, high fructose corn syrup, mayauba wax, maydelilla wax, beeswax, vegetable oil, paraffin oil, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, cellulose, pectin, alginate, chitosan, gum Arabic, soy protein, zein, casein, and whey;
wherein the product is coated during harvest to create a coated product;
wherein the coating is washed off the coated product during processing after shipment to create an uncoated product; and
thereby increasing the performance of the transport system.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further including at least one of a step of transporting and a step of storing the coated product in the transport system for a period of time.
20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein increasing the performance of the transport system further comprises a step of improving a performance variable of the coated product compared to the uncoated product when the uncoated product is transported or stored or both in the transport system.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the performance variable of the product is one of the following: color, structural integrity, respiration rate, microbial load, yellowing, wilting, bounce back, taste, odor, temperature, insulative effect, UV filtering effect, and rot.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein yellowing of the product is reduced by at least 5%.
23 . The method of claim 21 , wherein wilting of the product is reduced by at least 5%.
24 . The method of claim 21 , wherein rot of the product is decreased by at least 5%.