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Purpose This study aims to shed light on the phenomenon of food waste generation by the food and beverage sector of hotels of Mauritius as well as examine the current status of food waste management.

As the world population is expected to rise to nearly eleven billion by 2050, a concomitant rise in the demand for fresh fruits and vegetables (FFV) is expected. FFV are highly perishable and constitute 20% of the global food wastage with nearly 30% of the losses occurring at the postharvest (PH) phase. This represents a challenge to ensure food and nutrition security for future generations. A proposed solution is the use of edible coatings incorporating natural ingredients that have the potential to reduce PH losses. Rising consumer demands for healthy, safe and sustainable food have translated to a greater acceptance of natural edible coatings. Edible coatings are hydrocolloid-based layers often applied to the surface of FFV to confer physical protection as well as extending shelf-life and consumer attraction. Although there has been extensive research on edible coatings, their widespread use has been limited due to a number of challenges such as a lack of standards and regulations, limited market research on consumer opinion and purchase intent, difficulties in scaling-up for industrial application and environmental sustainability concerns. This article attempts to shed light on the drivers fostering, as well as barriers impeding, commercial uptake of edible coatings in the FFV industry.

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Pineapple is one of the most economically important fruit crops of Mauritius and is often sold after being minimally processed (MP). Unfortunately, minimally processed whole (MPW) and fresh-cut (MPC) pineapples are susceptible to microbial contamination that can compromise the quality of the products. It is therefore important that MP pineapples have optimal freshness, nutritional quality, and are free from microbial contamination which would otherwise constitute a public health hazard to the consumers.The main aim of this study was to assess the microbiological, nutritional, and physicochemical quality of MP pineapples sourced from wet markets and supermarkets. Samples of MPW and MPC pineapples collected from open markets and supermarkets were subjected to microbiological, pH, and vitamin C analyses. The MP pineapples were also challenged using the specific spoilage organism (SSO), Pseudomonas fluorescens and subsequently stored at either ambient or refrigeration temperature to simulate storage conditions of wet markets and supermarkets, respectively. Laboratory analyses revealed that the Total Viable Counts (TVC), pH, and vitamin C content for MPW and MPC pineapples sampled ranged from 4.8 – 5.5 Log CFU/g, 4.16 – 4.96, and 21.60 – 28.90 mg/100 g, respectively. Since the population density of TVC was less than 7 Log CFU/g, which usually marks the onset of microbiological spoilage, the products were considered to be of a satisfactory microbiological quality. Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference in the microbiological load, pH, and vitamin C content for pineapples sourced from markets and supermarkets. Taken together, this study reveals that MP pineapples sold in wet markets and supermarkets have a satisfactory microbiological, nutritional, and sensorial quality with a shelf-life of >7 hours and >5 days when stored at room (29°C) and refrigeration (4°C) temperatures, respectively.