Factors responsible for spoilage, drawbacks of conventional packaging, and advanced packaging systems for tomatoes

Tomatoes are cultivated and consumed in almost all countries of the world, highly valued for the abundance of nutritional compounds that contribute to their sweet-sour taste, widely appreciated globally. The unique taste of tomatoes is attributed to the volatile compounds and nutrition components, including acids, sugars, lipids, pigments, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and terpenes. As climacteric fruit, tomatoes undergo various pos-harvest changes, and multiple factors contribute to their rapid spoilage, resulting in losse of this perishable commodity. Packaging plays a pivotal role in extending the shelf life of tomatoes and preserving their quality characteristics throughout the supply chain, from the farm to the end consumer. Conventional packaging methods have shown substantial losses, promoting a shift towards new and efficient packaging strategies as indicated by the previous investigations. Recent developments include edible coatings/films, modified atmosphere packaging, active packaging, and nanopackaging, which have proven to be more efficient than conventional methods. These advanced packaging techniques control physicochemical, microbiological, and environmental factors responsible for tomato spoilage, contributing to the reduction of postharvest losses of this valuable fruit.