Background: Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the major nutrient-rich food widely consumed in India and being perishable in nature, it cannot be stored for longer periods. Edible coatings based on natural ingredients is now a days being widely used to extend the shelf life of perishable fruits and vegetables. In the present study the impact of aloevera gel and corn starch coatings on quality attributes and shelf life of tomato was assessed. Methods: Two lots of tomatoes -one coated with aloevera gel and the other coated with corn starch coating were stored for 21 days under refrigerated condition. Physio-chemical characteristics of tomatoes were assessed at 3, 5, 7, 14 and 21 days during storage. Result: The retention of moisture content, colour and firmness were observed better for coated tomatoes than the uncoated ones. The physiological weight loss, ascorbic acid content and total soluble solid content decreased at a higher rate in case of uncoated tomatoes compared to the coated ones. The decay percentage of tomatoes for uncoated, corn starch coated and aloevera coated tomatoes were found as 92%, 10% and 5% respectively. Hence, it can be inferred that both the coating materials have potential to enhance the shelf life of tomatoes.

Post harvest losses of fruits and vegetables in India are approximately 35-40% which is a matter of grave concern for Indian agriculture sector (Krishijagran.com, 2019). India is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables, after China. But the post harvest losses that occur during different post-harvest processes till the product reach to the consumer directly affect all the producers, supplier and consumers in the marketing chain. These losses occur mainly due to the lack of proper harvest practices, transportation and cold storage facilities. Several techniques such as refrigeration, controlled atmosphere storage, modified atmosphere storage, chemical preservatives and packaging are being used for post harvest quality retention of different fruits and vegetables (